United States v. Avery

52 M.J. 496, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 374, 2000 WL 378256
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedApril 14, 2000
Docket96-1157/AR
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 52 M.J. 496 (United States v. Avery) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Avery, 52 M.J. 496, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 374, 2000 WL 378256 (Ark. 2000).

Opinions

Chief Judge CRAWFORD

delivered the opinion of the Court.

A general court-martial composed of officer and enlisted members convicted appellant, contrary to his pleas, of rape and adultery, in violation of Articles 120 and 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 USC §§ 920 and 934, respectively. The convening authority approved the sentence of a dishonorable discharge, 6 years’ confinement, total forfeitures, and reduction to the lowest enlisted grade. On May 17, 1996, the Army Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the findings and sentence.

On December 15,1997, this Court set aside the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals [497]*497and remanded the ease to that Court to make findings of fact and conclusions of law as to:

(1) whether the Government failed to disclose exculpatory material to appellant pri- or to trial and, if so, what evidence was not disclosed; (2) whether defense counsel already possessed all or part of the information; (3) whether defense counsel, when requested post-trial to reveal the information she possessed, erroneously claimed privilege; and (4) whether any such failure by the Government to disclose constituted reversible error.

On April 17, 1998, the Court of Criminal Appeals ordered the prosecutors and the trial defense counsel to produce affidavits answering the issues mandated by this Court. All counsel provided affidavits in response to the court order. On July 21,1998, the Army Court affirmed the findings and sentence.

On October 27, 1999, this Court heard argument on the following issue:

WHETHER APPELLANT WAS PREVENTED A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO CROSS-EXAMINE THE CRITICAL WITNESS AGAINST HIM, THEREBY DENYING HIS 6TH AMENDMENT RIGHT TO CONFRONT WITNESSES, DUE TO THE GOVERNMENT’S FAILURE TO DISCLOSE EXCULPATORY EVIDENCE REQUESTED DURING DISCOVERY.

We hold that appellant waived any error regarding the Government’s failure to disclose.

FACTS

On November 22,1994, at appellant’s Article 32, UCMJ, 10 USC § 832, investigation, trial defense counsel learned that the victim, Private First Class (PFC) C, made similar allegations of rape 1 year earlier while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Despite a defense pretrial discovery request for the Fort Hood Criminal Investigation Command (CID) report involving the prior rape allegation by PFC C, it was not given to defense counsel until trial was completed.

At an Article 39(a), UCMJ, 10 USC § 839(a), session during trial, the Government made a motion in limine to preclude the defense from introducing evidence of the victim’s prior rape allegation at Fort Hood. Although the prosecutor did not have a copy of the Fort Hood CID report to review at the time of his motion in limine, he argued that there did not appear to be evidence that this report was false. The factual references in the Government’s motion in limine repeat PFC C’s assertions made during the Article 32 investigation. When asked by the military judge to respond to the Government’s motion, defense counsel stated:

I did make a discovery request for this and basically, because I didn’t receive this information — the Government has prevented me from having a good faith basis to even ask this question. I don’t intend to go into it at any rate, but I did — I would like it on the record that I did make a discovery request.

Following this statement, the military judge questioned defense counsel about the discovery request, at which time defense counsel made no motions to compel the discovery of the CID report or to request a continuance until the CID report was received. After this exchange, the military judge concluded “[a]t this point” that the report of the victim’s prior allegation of rape had no apparent relevance “to any issue before the court” and granted the Government’s motion.

In mid-February 1995, while preparing post-trial submissions, defense counsel again requested the Fort Hood CID report and received it soon thereafter. Subsequent to the receipt of the CID report, a post-trial Article 39(a) session was held concerning a sleeping courtmember. At no time during this session did defense counsel raise any issue pertaining to possible uses of the CID report then in her possession.

DISCUSSION

The Government’s failure to turn over the CID report of the victim’s prior rape allegation prior to trial is the crux of this appeal. Appellant argues that this failure on the part of the Government prevented an effective cross-examination of the victim and, thus, violated his Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against him.

[498]*498The Government is required to produce evidence that is relevant, material, and favorable to the accused. RCM 701, Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (1994 ed.);

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
52 M.J. 496, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 374, 2000 WL 378256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-avery-armfor-2000.