Lawrence v. Maksym

58 M.J. 808, 2003 CCA LEXIS 147, 2003 WL 21488210
CourtNavy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedJune 25, 2003
DocketNMCM 200300173
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 58 M.J. 808 (Lawrence v. Maksym) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Navy-Marine Corps 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
Lawrence v. Maksym, 58 M.J. 808, 2003 CCA LEXIS 147, 2003 WL 21488210 (N.M. 2003).

Opinion

CARVER, Judge:

Petitioner comes before us to request extraordinary relief under the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1651(a), in the nature of a writ of prohibition to prevent the court-martial from proceeding or, alternatively, a writ of mandamus to direct the military judge to dismiss the charges. He contends that the court-martial lacks personal jurisdiction over him, because there is no authority to recall him to active duty from the inactive reserves for trial by court-martial. This court has the authority to grant the extraordinary relief requested to ensure the integrity of the judicial process. Aviz v. Carver, 36 M.J. 1026, 1028 (N.M.C.M.R.1993). However, after a thorough review of the record of trial, briefs by both parties, petitioner’s reply brief and oral argument, we decline to grant the request for extraordinary relief.

Background

Petitioner is a major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Charges were preferred against him on 23 July 2002, alleging unauthorized absence, violation of an order, willful dereliction of duty, and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, in violation of Articles 86, 92, and 133, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 886, 892, and 933. The offenses all arose from the Government’s allegation that the petitioner accepted Active Duty for Special Work (ADSW) orders to report to Baltimore for duty during the period 17-21 October 2001, but failed to execute those orders properly.2 The order specification was dismissed after arraignment, leaving the other three offenses now pending against the petitioner.3

The petitioner was later ordered to another period of ADSW by Presidential Recall in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 15 January 2002 until 2 June 2002, when he received a Department of Defense (DD) Form 214 entitled CERTIFICATE OF RELEASE OR DISCHARGE FROM ACTIVE DUTY.

On 6 August 2002, the general court-martial convening authority issued an involuntary recall and order to active duty for the petitioner to attend an Article 32, UCMJ, investigation into the allegations. However, at the request of the petitioner, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the convening authority on 7 August 2002. After hearing evidence and oral argument on 20 August 2002, the District Court denied a request for permanent injunctive relief and dissolved the TRO on the same day.4 The Petitioner then appealed to the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.5 Subsequent to the Dis[810]*810trict Court ruling, the petitioner voluntarily-agreed to appear for the Article 32 investigation, without admitting personal jurisdiction.

The charges were referred to trial by general court-martial on 8 November 2002. The petitioner voluntarily agreed to be arraigned 15 November 2002, at which time he submitted two motions to the military judge: (1) a motion for appropriate relief to stay the court-martial proceedings until decision by the Fifth Circuit on his appeal of the District Court’s ruling, and (2) a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. The request for a stay was apparently denied without a specific ruling and the court-martial proceedings continued. Evidence and oral argument on the motion to dismiss were presented at an Article 39(a), UCMJ, hearing on 16 December 2002. The military judge denied the motion to dismiss at the next Article 39(a) session on 13 January 2003. At the same hearing, the military judge entertained several other motions and set the ease for trial on 10 February 2003.

The petitioner filed his request for extraordinary relief with this court on 30 January 2003. On 5 February 2003, we granted his motion to stay the court-martial proceedings. We also requested that the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Navy appoint counsel to represent the parties, ordered the respondents to show cause why the petition should not be granted, and ordered the respondents to provide an authenticated copy of the record of the proceedings. On 20 February 2003, we granted a motion by the Government to release the convening authority as a party. On 10 March 2003, the petitioner requested oral argument, which we granted on 7 April 2003. Oral argument was presented on 8 May 2003.

Facts

In resolving the motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, the military judge made findings of fact and conclusions of law. “If the military judge makes findings of fact, we review the findings under a clearly erroneous standard of review. We review conclusions of law de novo.” United States v. Springer, 58 M.J. 164, 167 (C.A.A.F.2003)(citing United States v. Alameda, 57 M.J. 190, 198 (C.A.A.F.2002)). None of the parties contend that the military judge’s findings were erroneous at all, much less, clearly erroneous. We find that the evidence supports his findings and we adopt them. The military judge found:

3. THE FACTS — The Court does not see a review of the charges faced by Major Lawrence as relevant to the call of the pending motion. In summary, Major Lawrence has been a selected reserve officer of many years and was subjected to recall in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 15 January 2002. Subsequently, this officer was released from active duty on 2 June 2002. Prior to his service in support of the war on terrorism, Major Lawrence enjoyed a seemingly distinguished career in the United States Marine Corps and United States Marine Corps Reserve. The accused officer entered active duty in the Marine Corps on 27 February 1987 and was released from initial active duty as a Captain on 30 September 1993. Since his release from the regular Marine Corps in 1993, Major Lawrence has continually held the President’s commission in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Moreover, from the briefs submitted by both the United States and the Defense, the Court has discerned that Major Lawrence has never terminated his reserve affiliation by resignation. Indeed, he has enjoyed an all rather active reserve career and is presently a selected Lieutenant Colonel. During the period covered by the alleged offenses, Major Lawrence was a selective reservist affiliated with the 4th Marine Division Reserve Staff and accepted ADSW orders on 17 October 2001. Generally, this ease stems from allegations that the accused officer did not properly carry out a period of Active Duty for Special Work (ADSW) from 17-21 October 2001.

Appellate Exhibit XXIV (Military Judge Ruling on Defense Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction of 13 Jan 2003).

[811]*811Standard of Review

“[A] Writ of Mandamus is a drastic remedy that should be used only in truly extraordinary situations. United States v. Labella, 15 M.J. 228 (N.M.C.M.R.1983).... To justify extraordinary relief, the petitioner bears the burden of demonstrating that he is entitled to it as a clear and indisputable right. [United States v.] Thomas, 33 M.J. [768,] at 770 [(N.M.C.M.R.1991)]; Smithee v. Vorbach, 25 M.J. 561 (C.G.C.M.R.1987).” Aviz, 36 M.J. at 1028.

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Bluebook (online)
58 M.J. 808, 2003 CCA LEXIS 147, 2003 WL 21488210, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lawrence-v-maksym-nmcca-2003.