Torres v. Connor

329 F. Supp. 1025, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10615
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedAugust 10, 1970
DocketCiv. A. Nos. 13895, 13940
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 329 F. Supp. 1025 (Torres v. Connor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Torres v. Connor, 329 F. Supp. 1025, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10615 (N.D. Ga. 1970).

Opinion

HENDERSON, District Judge:

Esequiel Torres and Robert W. TSouvas, members of the U.S. Army, filed separate actions in this court to enjoin the defendant from subjecting them to trial by general court martial. Each has been charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (U.C. M.J.); specifically murder, in violation of Article 118, and, in the case of Torres, also assault with the intent to murder, in violation of Article 134. These crimes allegedly arose in connection with the My Lai incident of March, 1968. Both plaintiffs claim that to subject them to court martial would violate fundamental constitutional rights [1026]*1026and cause them irreparable damage for which no adequate remedy exists at law.

Federal question jurisdiction exists under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 since the amount in controversy is alleged in excess of $10,000 and the actions arise under the Constitution and laws of the United States.

Torres, on June 24, 1970, requested that a three-judge court be convened pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2282, and that defendant be temporarily restrained from trying him, pending that hearing. A temporary restraining order issued, and on July 2, 1970, a preliminary injunction was entered prohibiting defendant from placing Torres on trial until further order.

T’Souvas filed a virtually identical complaint against defendant on July 13, 1970. In view of the similarities, these cases were consolidated for purposes of argument before a three-judge district court on July 15, 1970. At the hearing, following argument, the preliminary injunction in the Torres case was dissolved; however, the Army, acting upon the court’s request, agreed to stay all proceedings against plaintiffs for at least 21 days to allow submission by plaintiffs of briefs and proffers of evidence, and decision by this court.

Torres alleges fifteen grounds in support of his application for injunctive relief. T’Souvas repeats these and asserts two additional grounds. Essentially, plaintiffs claim a court martial would violate rights guaranteed them by the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments of the Constitution, and also would be in violation of Article III, Sections 1 and 2. Plaintiffs’ constitutional attack is based upon alleged deficiencies common to all military tribunals, the illegality of the Viet Nam War, and the peculiar facts and circumstances surrounding the My Lai incident. Plaintiffs attack the failure of the U.C.M.J. to provide for military tribunals comprised of disinterested and impartial triers of fact; to provide for unanimous findings by the triers of fact to obtain a conviction; to provide the form, manner or means of punishment ; to provide for the right of an accused to confront witnesses; to provide for speedy trials; and to provide trial by jury. Because of these broad attacks against the U.C.M.J., granting relief on these grounds would necessitate an injunction against the execution of an Act of Congress, the U.C.M.J., for repugnance to the Constitution of the United States. Accordingly, a three-judge court was empaneled to determine whether these cases were properly for a three-judge rather than a single-judge court, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 2282, 2284.

At the July 15, 1970, hearing before this court, it was noted that these eases raised three-judge questions, and jurisdiction was assumed under Section 2282. Next, considering the merits of the claims, the court rejected plaintiffs’ attacks against the U.C.M.J. The Supreme Court has recognized that trial by a military tribunal deprives one of trial by jury and other constitutional rights, Reid v. Covert, 354 U.S. 1, 77 S.Ct. 1222, 1 L.Ed.2d 1148 (1957); however, the Court has not ruled the U.C.M.J. unconstitutional. Rather, the Court has acted, in recent landmark decisions such as O’Callahan v. Parker, 395 U.S. 258, 89 S.Ct. 1683, 23 L.Ed.2d 291 (1969); Reid v. Covert, supra, and United States ex rel. Toth v. Quarles, 350 U.S. 11, 76 S.Ct. 1, 100 L.Ed. 8 (1957), to restrict military jurisdiction to the narrowest limits consistent in the power granted Congress in Art. I, See. 8, Cl. 14, “To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces”. This court will not hold the U.C.M.J. unconstitutional for deficiencies which the Supreme Court has long acknowledged in those cases which are properly subject to military jurisdiction. There can be no doubt that plaintiffs are subject to military jurisdiction, as both are members of the armed forces and, clearly, the alleged crimes are service-connected. O’Callahan v. Parker, supra.

We also rejected the contention that the question of the legality of the Viet Nam War provides a basis for interven[1027]*1027tion by this court into the court martial jurisdiction of the Army under the circumstances alleged. See on the question of the legality of the war: Orlando v. Laird, 317 F.Supp. 1013 (E.D.N.Y.1970) (the lack of a formal declaration of war by Congress is without legal effect); and see also Simmons v. United States, 406 F.2d 456, 460 (5th Cir. 1969); and Luftig v. McNamara, 126 U.S.App.D.C. 4, 373 F.2d 664, 665 (1967).

What remained of plaintiffs’ contentions after the July 15th hearing were those grounds alleging that it would be fundamentally unfair, in view of the peculiar facts and circumstances surrounding the My Lai incident, to require plaintiffs to be tried by court martial. Such problems as command influence, pre-trial publicity, denial of effective right of counsel, inability to obtain relief within the military system, and selective prosecution were raised during argument to illustrate the fundamental unfairness of requiring plaintiffs to be subjected to military trial. Following the hearing plaintiffs were afforded ten days within which to proffer evidence establishing the fundamental unfairness which they were prepared to establish by competent evidence. Plaintiffs’ proffers were submitted, in camera, on July 27; and, on July 29, by order of this court, the proffers were made public and part of the record. Defendant’s response to the proffers was submitted on July 31.

The defendant filed a motion to dismiss on July 28, 1970, making four contentions. First, it is claimed that a district court has no jurisdiction to enjoin a court martial. Secondly, defendant urges that plaintiffs’ allegations fail to state a basis for the exercise of jurisdiction by a three-judge district court. Thirdly, defendant asserts that plaintiffs’ failure to exhaust available military, remedies means they have not stated a claim for relief. Lastly, defendant argues that plaintiffs’ allegations are facially without merit. Because of the conclusion we have reached, it is unnecessary to consider all four of the points raised in defendant’s motion.

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Bluebook (online)
329 F. Supp. 1025, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10615, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/torres-v-connor-gand-1970.