Keaton v. Marsh

43 M.J. 757, 1996 CCA LEXIS 345, 1996 WL 19561
CourtArmy Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedJanuary 11, 1996
DocketARMY MISC 9502052
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 43 M.J. 757 (Keaton v. Marsh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Army Court of Criminal Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keaton v. Marsh, 43 M.J. 757, 1996 CCA LEXIS 345, 1996 WL 19561 (acca 1996).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT ON PETITION FOR EXTRAORDINARY RELIEF IN THE NATURE OF A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS

GRAVELLE, Senior Judge:

This petition involves the lawfulness of the petitioner’s pretrial confinement at Fort Lewis, Washington, and the propriety of another judicial official overruling the decision of the military magistrate to release the petitioner from confinement.

On 8 December 1995, counsel for Specialist Shaman D. Keaton filed with this court a Petition for Extraordinary Relief in the Nature of a Writ of Habeas Corpus. That same day, this court ordered that the government show cause why the requested relief should not be granted and to file a response not later than 14 December. This court heard oral argument on the issue on 15 December.

On 18 December 1995, we determined that the decision of the magistrate to release the petitioner was not reviewable and that reconfinement could only be ordered upon discovery of new evidence warranting such confinement. Therefore, we granted the appellant’s petition and ordered the immediate release of the petitioner from pretrial confinement in an order, which is attached to this opinion as an appendix.

Facts.

Specialist Keaton was ordered into pretrial confinement at the Fort Lewis Regional Confinement Facility (RCF) by his battalion commander on 12 September 1995. Pursuant to R.C.M. 305,1 a military magistrate conducted a pretrial confinement hearing on [756]*75614 September 1995. After considering both documentary evidence and the testimony of four noncommissioned officers, the magistrate on that date ordered the release of the petitioner from pretrial confinement. She found it unlikely that the petitioner would not be present for his trial or that he would engage in serious misconduct, and determined that lesser forms of pretrial restraint would be adequate. The petitioner was promptly released on 14 September.

On 15 September 1995, pursuant to Army Regulation 27-10,2 the government requested the supervisory military judge, Judge Hough, to set aside the magistrate’s release order. On that same day, without a hearing or notice to petitioner or his counsel, Judge Hough, acting under authority of the same regulation, determined that the military magistrate’s decision to release was “clearly erroneous,” and set aside that decision. The petitioner reentered the Fort Lewis RCF on 15 September and remained in pretrial confinement until this court ordered his release on 18 December.

To memorialize his decision, Judge Hough prepared a short memorandum stating he had considered the magistrate’s written report, considered the same statements as had been considered by the military magistrate, and considered the written government memorandum requesting his review of the magistrate’s decision.

Subsequent to Judge Hough’s decision reversing the military magistrate, a pretrial hearing pursuant to Article 32, Uniform Code of Military Justice [hereinafter UCMJ], was conducted and the charges were referred to trial. On 21 November, at an initial hearing conducted under provisions of Article 39(a), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 839(a), counsel for appellant requested Judge Hough to review the need for the petitioner’s continued confinement. Judge Hough recused himself, and was replaced by Judge Hargus. The motion was heard at an Article 39(a), UCMJ, session on 22 November 1995.

At the hearing on 22 November, Judge Hargus conducted a de novo review of the entire confinement procedure pursuant to R.C.M. 305(j). At that hearing, counsel for the petitioner and for the government stipulated that no new evidence had been presented to Judge Hough; and, that there was probable cause to believe that offenses had been committed and that the petitioner had committed them. The sole issue was the continued need to confine the petitioner.

Judge Hargus reviewed the pretrial confinement packet that had been considered by the military magistrate and by Judge Hough. He also heard the testimony of the petitioner and two witnesses presented by the petitioner at the Article 39(a) session. The magistrate and Judge Hough had considered sworn written statements from these same two witnesses.

Thereafter, Judge Hargus concluded that: First — Lieutenant Colonel Hough’s determination as the supervising military judge that the magistrate’s findings as to the necessity of continued pretrial confinement or restraint, and the adequacy of lesser forms of restraint was clearly erroneous was not an abuse of discretion;
Second — The information not presented to the reviewing officer does not establish that Specialist Keaton should be released; Third — The provisions of R.C.M. 305(i)(2) and (3) were complied with in this case; Fourth — Procedures of paragraph 9-5, AR 27-10, which permit review of a magistrate’s decision by a reviewing military judge are not violative of due process, either constitutional or military. Now, the court notes in this case that the review was of a written record for an abuse of discretion. The memoranda which requested the review did not raise or convey new matters which the defense had not been previously noticed. And under the facts of this case, it was a record review for abuse of discretion, alone, that was conducted;
Fifth — Even if there were an abuse of discretion on the part of Colonel Hough in his review, or that there was a failure to comply with R.C.M. 305(i), the information that has been presented at this hearing establishes sufficient grounds for continued confinement that exists.

[757]*757Nowhere in the 98-page transcript of that Article 39(a) session is R.C.M. 305(l) mentioned, nor does Judge Hargus mention this rule in his findings.

In his petition for extraordinary relief, counsel for the petitioner argues, inter alia, that the provisions of AR 27-10 conflict with R.C.M. 305«).3

Law.

This court has jurisdiction to entertain this petition for extraordinary relief. Dettinger v. United States, 7 M.J. 216 (C.M.A.1979); United States v. Draughon, 42 C.M.R. 447 (A.C.M.R.1970). More particularly, this court has jurisdiction to consider the propriety of the petitioner’s pretrial confinement. See, e.g., Porter v. Richardson, 50 C.M.R. 910 (C.M.A.1975) (pretrial confinement); McCray v. Grande, 38 M.J. 657 (A.C.M.R.1993) (post-trial confinement).

Within the U.S. Army, the Secretary of the Army has established a Military Magistrate Program pursuant to authority of R.C.M. 305(i)(2). See AR 27-10, Chapter 9. The Military Magistrate Program is an Army-wide program by which certain judge advocates are selected and appointed by The Judge Advocate General or his designee and empowered to direct the release of soldiers from pretrial confinement. AR 27-10, para. 9-1(c)-(e). That regulation provides a method of review by a supervising military judge of the military magistrate’s decision to release a prisoner. Paragraphs 9-5b(1)(a) and (b) provide in pertinent part that:

(a) ... Upon request of the government, the supervising military judge (or a military judge designated by the supervising military judge) may review the magistrate’s decision to disapprove pretrial confinement.

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Related

United States v. Williams
47 M.J. 621 (Army Court of Criminal Appeals, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
43 M.J. 757, 1996 CCA LEXIS 345, 1996 WL 19561, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keaton-v-marsh-acca-1996.