United States v. Bell

25 M.J. 676, 1987 CMR LEXIS 801, 1987 WL 20573
CourtU.S. Army Court of Military Review
DecidedNovember 24, 1987
DocketACMR 8601119
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 25 M.J. 676 (United States v. Bell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Army 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
United States v. Bell, 25 M.J. 676, 1987 CMR LEXIS 801, 1987 WL 20573 (usarmymilrev 1987).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

De GIULIO, Senior Judge:

A military judge sitting as a general court-martial found appellant guilty, contrary to his pleas, of indecent assault,1 2 3rape and burglary. He was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, confinement for twenty-five years, and total forfeitures. The convening authority approved the sentence.

Appellant alleges that the evidence was insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty of rape, that the [677]*677military judge erred by failing to grant additional administrative credit under Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, 1984, Rule for Courts-Martial (hereinafter R.C.M. or Rule) 305(k) for three days restriction tantamount to confinement, that appellant was denied due process when the military magistrate conducted pretrial confinement ex parte proceedings, and that the military judge erred by failing to rule on appellant’s motion for appropriate relief. We find no error which would cause this court to disturb the findings of guilty and the sentence.

I

Sufficiency of the Evidence to Prove Rape

Private First Class (PFC) P entered her unlocked barracks room in which her two roommates were asleep. Appellant, who was standing in the middle of the room, stated, “Whoops, I must be in the wrong room.” They began conversing, and PFC P sat on her bed as she looked through video tapes. Appellant, uninvited, sat on the far end of the bed. Appellant’s conversation turned to sex, he moved closer to PFC P, and attempted to kiss her. She told him to get out and to go away. He pushed her back on the bed with his body on top of her. One arm was pinned behind her, and the other was pinned between his body and her body. Appellant stated, “I’m sorry Miss [P], but I love you. You just don’t know I love you, and if you were mine, I would give you anything. I’m sorry, but I have to do this.” When PFC P told appellant that she would scream, he told her to think about how that would make her look. Over PFC P’s protestations, appellant removed PFC P’s pants and underwear and had sexual intercourse with her. PFC P testified that she stopped struggling because it appeared appellant was enjoying the struggle. After appellant finished and released PFC P, she jumped up and punched him in the face. He told her that if it made her feel better she could hit him on the other cheek. She did so. Appellant departed PFC P’s room leaving his ID card and T-shirt. Sometime after the alleged rape, PFC P destroyed the T-shirt and returned the ID card to appellant. During the incident, PFC P neither screamed nor awoke her roommates. The next day, PFC P informed a friend of the incident. About a week later, she reported the rape after she became aware of an incident resulting in an allegation of attempted rape of PVT J, an offense also before this court.

After the Article 32, UCMJ, investigation, during a conversation with PFC P, appellant agreed that PFC P had told the truth in describing the event. He stated, “but what do you want me to do? Sit there and say, ‘Yeah, she’s telling the truth,’ and send myself to prison?”

Appellant’s defense was that he had consensual sexual intercourse with PFC P. In contending the evidence is insufficient to support the conviction of rape, he points to the following factors: (a) appellant and victim’s height and weight were comparable, increasing the possibility of successful resistance; (b) PFC P’s failure to scream when immediate assistance could have been rendered by her roommates and others showed lack of resistance; (c) no one overheard the alleged forcible sexual intercourse; (d) while under the influence of alcohol, appellant was more inclined to mistake lack of resistance for consent; (e) others knew of the sexual contact between appellant and PFC P and she did not want her boyfriend to learn of it; (f) appellant would not likely have left his ID card and T-shirt in PFC P’s room if he had raped her; (g) appellant would not have permitted PFC P to strike him if he had raped her; (h) the rape was not reported until after another alleged sexual assault by appellant was reported; (i) it is unlikely that anyone would commit a rape with two other people sleeping in the same room; (j) the failure of PFC P to report the incident immediately..

In determining if the evidence is legally sufficient to support a conviction, the test is whether after viewing the evidence most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact would have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 318, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2788, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 [678]*678(1979); United States v. Hart, 25 M.J. 143 (C.M.A.1987). In addition to determining legal sufficiency, this court must also find factual sufficiency. See Article 66, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 866 (1982). In such determination, of course, we must pay due deference to the trier of fact below who heard and saw the witnesses. Applying this principle to the facts before us, we are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the evidence of record supports the conviction of rape.

II

Failure to Grant Rule 305(k) Credit

The military judge ruled that appellant’s restriction of three days was tantamount to confinement and awarded appellant three days’ administrative credit. Appellant alleges that the military judge should have awarded additional credit under the provisions of Rule 305(k).2 We find no evidence of a violation of Rule 305 which requires additional administrative credit for the three days of restriction tantamount to confinement. See United States v. Freeman, 24 M.J. 547 (A.C.M.R.1987). We hold, therefore, that the military judge did not err by failing to grant additional administrative credit under Rule 305(k).

III

Ex Parte Proceedings of the Magistrate

The military magistrate conducted a review of appellant’s pretrial confinement. Appellant and defense counsel were given the opportunity and did appear. The magistrate requested additional statements and terminated the hearing. He advised the defense counsel that he would “reconvene at 1100 [hours]” after he had time to review the additional statements. Defense counsel waited outside the magistrate’s office. The magistrate had a discussion with appellant’s commander and the trial counsel, obtaining information which was used in his decision to continue appellant’s pretrial confinement. Appellant alleges that this ex parte proceeding removed the magistrate from his neutral and detached position and denied appellant due process. We disagree.

Procedures for the review of pretrial confinement are contained in Rule 305(i). It provides that a prisoner and his counsel, if any, shall be allowed to appear before the reviewing officer and make a statement. R.C.M. 305(i)(3)(A). A command representative may also appear before the reviewing officer to make a statement. Id. It appears that the drafters did not contemplate a requirement that the prisoner or his counsel be present at the entire proceeding.

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Bluebook (online)
25 M.J. 676, 1987 CMR LEXIS 801, 1987 WL 20573, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-bell-usarmymilrev-1987.