Shelby v. United States

40 M.J. 909, 1994 CMR LEXIS 362, 1994 WL 525036
CourtU.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review
DecidedSeptember 14, 1994
DocketNMCM No. 88 01397
StatusPublished

This text of 40 M.J. 909 (Shelby v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shelby v. United States, 40 M.J. 909, 1994 CMR LEXIS 362, 1994 WL 525036 (usnmcmilrev 1994).

Opinion

ORR, Senior Judge:

A Petition for Extraordinary Relief was filed with this Court on 22 August 1994 seeking the issuance of an order vacating the petitioner’s special court-martial conviction, which occurred almost 7 years ago. Although it appears we may have the discretionary authority to hear this petition in aid of our jurisdiction under the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1651(a), for the reasons explained below, we decline to issue such an order.

To establish a basis for jurisdiction under the All Writs Act, the petitioner has asserted a facially meritorious challenge to the integrity of the judicial process in his ease by claiming that he did not have effective assistance of counsel at his court-martial as contemplated by the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. See generally Del Prado v. United States, 23 C.M.A. 132, 48 C.M.R. 748, 1974 WL 13907 (1974); United States v. Frischholz, 16 C.M.A. 150, 36 C.M.R. 306, 1966 WL 4467 (1966). In his brief in support of this petition, the petitioner argues two bases for his claim of ineffective assistance: first, that his counsel was burdened by a conflict of interest; and, second, that his counsel failed to raise the neurological or stress related effects of the petitioner’s HIV-positive medical condition either in defense or mitigation.

I.

The petitioner was tried on 15 December 1987 and convicted, contrary to his pleas, at a special court-martial where he was represented by a civilian counsel, Alan V. Edmunds. The petitioner was sentenced to confinement for 4 months, forfeiture of $350.00 pay per month for 4 months, reduction to pay grade E-1, and a bad-conduct discharge. On 17 March 1988, the convening authority approved the sentence as adjudged and, except for the discharge, ordered it executed. The record of trial was submitted on its merits to this Court for review under Article 66, Uniform Code of Military Justice [UCMJ], 10 U.S.C. § 866, and the findings and sentence were subsequently affirmed in an unpublished decision, United States v. Shelby, No. 88 1397 (N.M.C.M.R. 18 July 1988). The bad-conduct discharge was ordered executed on 16 November 1988.

Approximately 6 weeks prior to the petitioner’s special court-martial, Mr. Edmunds appeared in behalf of Yeoman Second Class Richard P. Augusztin, USN, on 3 November 1987 at a pretrial investigation convened pursuant to Article 32, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 832. Mr. Edmunds subsequently represented Augusztin at a general court-martial on 19 January 1988, about a month after the petitioner’s conviction. At his trial and contrary to his pleas, Augusztin was convicted of dereliction of duty and twice soliciting sodomy, but this Court, in a published opinion, United States v. Augusztin, 30 M.J. 707 (N.M.C.M.R.1990), reversed his conviction because of the conflict of interest created by Mr. Edmunds’ dual representation of Augusztin and the petitioner, whose sworn statement was accepted as a prosecution exhibit on the merits of the Government’s ease against Augusztin. That statement was relevant to all three offenses of which Augusztin was charged and ultimately convicted, and it was apparent from the record of that trial that the Government, the military judge, and Augusztin were aware of Mr. Edmunds’ dual representation.

To avoid the possibility of having to cross-examine the petitioner at Augusztin’s trial, Mr. Edmunds did not object to the Government’s offer of petitioner’s statement, and in [911]*911obvious collaboration with Mr. Edmunds, the Government did not object to the defense’s offer of a second sworn statement from the petitioner in which he purported (in two sentences) to retract his earlier (four-page) statement, which had been admitted as a prosecution exhibit. Id. at 708-09. In our decision concerning Augusztin’s conviction, we stated that Augusztin was entitled to representation by counsel “unburdened by the ethical constraints resulting from prior representation of the Government’s key witness.” Id. at 709-10 (citation omitted). Implicit in our discussion of the facts concerning Mr. Edmunds’ decision not to challenge the petitioner’s out of court statement is the conclusion that an actual conflict of interest existed in Augusztin’s trial. Id. at 710 (citing Duncan v. Alabama, 881 F.2d 1013 (11th Cir.1989), and United States v. Dolan, 570 F.2d 1177 (3rd Cir.1978)).

As the U.S. Court of Military Appeals has stated, however: “[M]erely because two or more defendants are represented by the same attorney or attorneys ‘is not per se violative of constitutional guarantees of effective assistance of counsel’ and does not automatically raise an appearance of conflict of interest.” United States v. Breese, 11 M.J. 17, 19 (C.M.A.1981) (quoting Holloway v. Arkansas, 435 U.S. 475, 482, 98 S.Ct. 1173, 1177, 55 L.Ed.2d 426 (1978)). In an earlier decision, the Court of Military Appeals also stated that

it ultimately must be the responsibility of the trial court upon the appearance of a conflict to bring the fact of its existence and the resulting dangers which are reasonably foreseeable to the attention of each affected defendant so that he can make an informed judgment at the time as to whether he wishes to continue with his present counsel or wishes new counsel.

United States v. Davis, 3 M.J. 430, 434 (C.M.A.1977) (emphasis added). Consequently, to establish a basis for relief the petitioner must at least establish the appearance of a conflict of interest in the conduct of his trial if not an actual conflict.

II.

In an attempt to show that a conflict of interest appeared to exist in his own trial, the petitioner asserts that, of the four offenses of which he was charged, Augusztin was a potential witness concerning three and a potential accused in relation to a fourth. The petitioner was charged with soliciting another to commit an act of sodomy with Augusztin (Charge I), being disrespectful to a chief petty officer (Additional Charge III), and disobeying an order from the same chief petty officer (Additional Charge IV). He was acquitted of the solicitation offense but found guilty of the disrespect and disobedience offenses. Augusztin, however, was not called as a witness by either side, and no evidence attributable to him was offered.

As to the disrespect and disobedience offenses, the evidence at trial indicated that Augusztin was present when a chief petty officer attempted to speak with the petitioner when the disrespect and disobedience ensued. The petitioner has not indicated, however, what the substance of Augusztin’s testimony might have been concerning these offenses. Augusztin was not charged with any offense stemming from that incident, and unless his testimony would have been detrimental to the petitioner and he testified or was the source of evidence offered at trial, no conflict, potential or actual, would have existed.

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Related

United States v. Morgan
346 U.S. 502 (Supreme Court, 1954)
Holloway v. Arkansas
435 U.S. 475 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
United States v. Dolan, John E.
570 F.2d 1177 (Third Circuit, 1978)
United States v. Frischholz
16 C.M.A. 150 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1966)
Del Prado v. United States
23 C.M.A. 132 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1974)
United States v. Davis
3 M.J. 430 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1977)
United States v. Breese
11 M.J. 17 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1981)
United States v. Hulsey
21 M.J. 687 (U S Air Force Court of Military Review, 1985)
United States v. Scott
24 M.J. 186 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1987)
United States v. Augusztin
30 M.J. 707 (U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review, 1990)
United States v. Stinson
34 M.J. 303 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1992)

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Bluebook (online)
40 M.J. 909, 1994 CMR LEXIS 362, 1994 WL 525036, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shelby-v-united-states-usnmcmilrev-1994.