United States v. Baker

57 M.J. 330, 2002 CAAF LEXIS 1245, 2002 WL 31190501
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedSeptember 30, 2002
Docket01-0064/AF; Crim.App. 34069
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 57 M.J. 330 (United States v. Baker) 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. Baker, 57 M.J. 330, 2002 CAAF LEXIS 1245, 2002 WL 31190501 (Ark. 2002).

Opinions

Senior Judge SULLIVAN

delivered the opinion of the Court.

Bobby Baker II, an Airman Basic (E-l) in the United States Air Force, was tried by a general court-martial composed of officer and enlisted members in January 2000, at the Royal Air Force Base (RAF), Mildenhall, United Kingdom. After entering mixed pleas and a trial on the merits, he was found guilty of two specifications of failing to obey the order of a superior officer, larceny from the base exchange, sodomy, and committing indecent acts with a female under the age of 16, in violation of Articles 92, 121, 125, and 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice [331]*331(UCMJ), 10 USC §§ 892, 921, 925 and 934. The members sentenced appellant to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for 105 days, and forfeiture of all pay and allowances. On April 19, 2000, the convening authority approved the sentence and, on August 28, 2000, the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals summarily affirmed the findings of guilty and sentence in an unpublished opinion.

We initially granted appellant’s petition for review to determine whether the evidence was legally sufficient to sustain one of the findings of guilty committing indecent acts with a female under the age of 16). After hearing argument on this issue, this Court specified and heard additional oral argument on the following issue:

WHETHER PLAIN ERROR OCCURRED WHERE THE MILITARY JUDGE FAILED TO GIVE TAILORED INSTRUCTIONS TO THE MEMBERS ON HOW TO DETERMINE CONDUCT WAS INDECENT WHEN REQUESTED BY THOSE MEMBERS.

We now hold that the military judge committed plain error when she failed to provide adequately tailored instructions on the issue of indecency after a court-martial member asked for such instructions. Accordingly, we set aside appellant’s conviction for committing indecent acts with a female under the age of 16. See United States v. Strode, 43 MJ 29 (1995); and Pierson v. State, 956 P.2d 1119 (Wyo.1998); see generally United States v. Eckhoff, 27 MJ 142, 145 (1988).

Specifically, in a session pursuant to Article 39(a), UCMJ, 10 USC § 839(a), and after deliberations began, a member asked a specific question about indecent acts: “... Should we or should we not consider ‘... [appellant’s] age, education, experience, prior contact with ... ’ or proximity of age to 17 years 364 days when determining whether the acts with [KAS] were indecent per requirement (3)—‘that the acts of [appellant] were indecent.’ ” The judge answered this question with the general instruction that “when you’re dealing with the other offense [the indecent acts charge at issue], we don’t specifically talk about that. But my instruction to you is [that] you should consider all the evidence you have, and you’ve heard on the issue of what’s indecent.” (R. 482-83).

In our view, this general instruction was clearly inadequate guidance for the members to decide the issue of the indecency of appellant’s conduct. See Strode, supra, and Pier-son, supra.

FACTS

Evidence in the record shows that Bobby Baker was born in the United Kingdom in January 1981. An American citizen, he enlisted in the An- Force in December 1998. After recruit training and service schools, he arrived at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, and was assigned duties in Military Personnel Flight (MPF) in April 1999. (R. 343). He became friendly with a number of the younger dependents on the base. Among those dependents was “KAS,” a 15-year-old girl who worked as a summer hire in MPF. (R. 248-249).

Appellant, then 18 years old, and KAS, began dating during the summer of 1999. (R. 249, 252). Appellant was aware that she was only 15 years old because her brother so informed him. (R. 264-265). The relationship between them quickly became physical. (R. 250). KAS testified that while they were dating, appellant touched her breasts and kissed them. (R. 250-251). He also gave her hickies on her stomach, upper chest, and back. (R. 250).

There was no evidence that any activity, beyond mere hugging and kissing, took place in public. Furthermore, KAS testified that appellant did not force this activity upon her, and that she did not find the activity offensive because it comported with her ideas of normal activities within a boyfriend/girlfriend dating relationship. (R. 254, 256).

During his argument on findings, the assistant trial counsel made several references to the difference between appellant’s and KAS’ age. For instance, in his closing argument on findings, the assistant trial counsel made the following assertion:

Now the final element is with [KAS]. Now, there are a lot of definitions here, but a lot of them are the same as one of [332]*332the previous charges.1 However, one thing you have to notice, is the definition of “a child.” It’s someone under the age of 16. Now you heard [KAS] testify that [appellant] kissed her breasts. And a couple of times, when they were dating, he touched her breasts with his hands. Now, this involved him touching them under her shirt and bra. Now, what does [appellant] say? He says the same thing again. He says, “I did put several hickies on [KAS’s] upper chest, not her breasts,”—again Agent Kieffer’s addition there—“and I put them on her stomach and her back.” And you heard testimony that hickies were all over her back. So he touched her breasts and he kissed and sucked her skin with his mouth.
Now, one potential warning here. These two are, as the elements show, close in age. He was 18 and she was 15. Now, first of all, do you see anything in the elements that would show that it matters that these two are close in age? No, because there isn’t anything like that. All the crime requires is that the recipient of the indecent act be under the age of 16, and in this case [KAS] was 15.
Now, when a person is under 16, it means that they can’t consent for themselves. So don’t be deceived by the fact that [KAS] let him do these things in some kind of a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Consent is not an element. It’s irrelevant. He groped her naked breasts with his hands. He kissed her naked body. She’s under 16, that’s indecent acts with a child, no matter how you look at it. (R. 434-435).

Later, in rebuttal, the assistant trial counsel contended:

Now, if you look at the elements and you see [that] they’re all clearly met. Now, how can you say not groping someone’s breasts under their bra is an indecent act with the intent to gratify his lust. That’s laughable to think he would do this and touch her breasts without attempting to gratify his lust. And let’s take a look at this definition that [defense] counsel harped on. “Indecent acts” signify [sic] that form of immorality relating to sexual impurity which is not only grossly vulgar, obscene, and repugnant to common propriety—and here’s the rest of the definition— but tends to excite lust and deprave morals with respect to sexual relations. Can an— 18 year old [sic] on a IS^year old [sic]— that 15^year old is considered a child. That 15-year old [sic] is an Air Force dependent. It’s obvious—an inference from the facts, is that he did it to excite his lust and that, no matter how you look at it, is indecent acts with a child. You’re obligated to follow the law and the facts, as the judge has instructed you, and that’s what the facts show. (R. 453-454).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 M.J. 330, 2002 CAAF LEXIS 1245, 2002 WL 31190501, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-baker-armfor-2002.