United States v. Adams

52 M.J. 836, 2000 CCA LEXIS 79, 2000 WL 371126
CourtUnited States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedMarch 20, 2000
DocketMisc. Dkt. No. 99-13
StatusPublished

This text of 52 M.J. 836 (United States v. Adams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Air Force 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
United States v. Adams, 52 M.J. 836, 2000 CCA LEXIS 79, 2000 WL 371126 (afcca 2000).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

YOUNG, Senior Judge:

Appellee was brought to trial before a general court-martial consisting of officer and enlisted members on one specification of wrongfully using methamphetamine. Article 112a, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 912a. The prosecution’s case consisted of a urinalysis showing that metabolites of methamphetamine were in the appellee’s body and two inferences: (1) knowledge of the presence of a controlled substance may be inferred from the presence of the controlled substance in the body (Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (MCM), Part IV, H37c(10) (1998 ed.)); and (2) use of a controlled substance may be inferred to be wrongful in the absence of evidence to the contrary (MCM, Part IV, 1137c(5)).

At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, the appellee asked the military judge to enter a finding of not guilty pursuant to “Rule for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 917 and United States v. Campbell, 50 M.J. 154 (1999).” After explaining his rationale for the decision, the military judge granted the motion:

With respect to the Defense Motion for a Finding of Not Guilty, pursuant to R.C.M. 917, I have considered the evidence thus [837]*837far presented, in the light most favorable to the prosecution, to determine whether there is any evidence which, together with all reasonable inferences and applicable presumptions, could reasonably tend to establish every essential element of the offense charged.

In accordance with R.C.M. 917(b), the flaw in the government’s case, identified by the defense, is the lack of evidence that the cutoff level for methamphetamine, and reported concentration of methamphetamine, are high enough to indicate a reasonable likelihood that the accused at sometime would have experienced the physical and psychological effects of methamphetamine.

The Court finds that this case, and this motion particularly, is governed by the standards set forth in United States v. Campbell cited at 50 M.J. 154. Specifically, at page 160, the Court tells us the prosecution’s expert testimony must show, among other things, that the cutoff level and reported concentration are high enough to reasonably discount the possibility of unknowing ingestion and to indicate a reasonable likelihood that the user at some time would have experienced the physical and psychological effects of the drug.

The Court is not persuaded by the government’s argument that the Campbell holding is ease specific for three reasons:

1. The Court in Campbell canvasses nearly the entire body of law in this area in them decision, and draws therefrom for their conclusions. These cases involve a variety of different drugs, to include both marijuana and cocaine;

2. If the Campbell decision were case specific, the Court likely would have reached the testing reliability issue, because that is apparently specific to LSD testing; and

3. The force and breadth of Judge Sullivan’s dissent convinces me, that at least to him, Campbell is now the law of urinalysis cases, and I agree with his assessment.

Therefore, relying upon the Court’s decision in Campbell and having provided the government an opportunity to reopen their case and cure the evidentiary flaw at issue, the Court finds that the requirements of Campbell are not met, and the government has failed to remedy the identified flaw. Accordingly, the defense motion is granted.

Senior Airman Steven C. Adams, II, in accordance with this Court’s ruling on the defense motion, the court finds you of the charge and its specification: NOT GUILTY.

The United States has appealed that decision under Article 62, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 862. As appellate counsel for both sides clearly recognized, the first issue we must address is whether this Court has jurisdiction to hear the appeal. Article 62, UCMJ, limits jurisdiction over appeals by the United States, in pertinent part, as follows:

(a)(1) In a trial by court-martial in which a military judge presides and in which a punitive discharge may be adjudged, the United States may appeal the following (other than an order or ruling that is, or that amounts to, a finding of not guilty with respect to the charge or specification):

(A) An order or ruling of the military judge which terminates the proceedings with respect to a charge or specification.

“Article 62 was intended by Congress to be interpreted and applied in the same manner as the Criminal Appeals Act, 18 USC § 3731.” United States v. Brooks, 42 M.J. 484, 486 (1995). That act provides that “no appeal shall lie where the double jeopardy clause of the United States Constitution prohibits further prosecution.” 18 U.S.C. § 3731.

The Double Jeopardy Clause prevents a retrial after an acquittal, and it prevents an appeal from a judgment of acquittal if a successful appeal would require further factual proceedings against the defendant. An acquittal represents a judgment by a jury or a court that the evidence is insufficient to convict.

United States v. Mackins, 32 F.3d 134, 137 (4th Cir.1994).

An accused is acquitted when [838]*838the ruling of the judge, whatever its label, actually represents a resolution [in the defendant’s favor], correct or not, of some or all of the factual elements of the offense charged. Where the court, before the jury returns a verdict, enters a judgment of acquittal ... appeal will be barred only when “it is plain that the district court ... evaluated the government’s evidence and determined that it was legally insufficient to sustain a conviction.”

United States v. Scott, 437 U.S. 82, 97, 98 S.Ct. 2187, 57 L.Ed.2d 65 (1978) (quoting United States v. Martin Linen Supply Co., 430 U.S. 564, 571-72, 97 S.Ct. 1349, 51 L. Ed.2d 642 (1977)).

On the other hand, “the trial judge’s characterization of his own action cannot control the classification of the action.” Brooks, 42 M. J. at 486 (quoting Scott, 437 U.S. at 96, 98 S.Ct. 2187). If the trial court labels its decision as a judgment of acquittal, but the record shows that it is based on some issue other than the insufficiency of the evidence, “the judgment constitutes a dismissal of the indictment, not an acquittal, and the government may appeal from that order.” Mac-kins, 32 F.3d at 138 (holding judgment of acquittal on Count 3, based on judge’s refusal to consider evidence presented on two counts on which the accused had been acquitted, was actually a dismissal of the indictment, and retrial did not violate double jeopardy).

The military judge characterized his ruling as a finding of not guilty under R.C.M. 917.

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Related

United States v. Martin Linen Supply Co.
430 U.S. 564 (Supreme Court, 1977)
Sanabria v. United States
437 U.S. 54 (Supreme Court, 1978)
United States v. Scott
437 U.S. 82 (Supreme Court, 1978)
United States v. Willie MacKins
32 F.3d 134 (Fourth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Campbell
50 M.J. 154 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 1999)
United States v. Brooks
42 M.J. 484 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 1995)
United States v. Miller
47 M.J. 352 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 1997)

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Bluebook (online)
52 M.J. 836, 2000 CCA LEXIS 79, 2000 WL 371126, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-adams-afcca-2000.