United States v. Bernard

69 M.J. 694, 2010 CCA LEXIS 395, 2010 WL 5174769
U S Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals·Decided December 21, 2010·No. CGCMG 0262·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

McClelland, Chief Judge:

Appellant was tried by general court-martial composed of officer and enlisted mem[695] bers. Contrary to his pleas, Appellant was convicted of two specifications of wrongful sexual contact, in violation of Article 120, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. § 920; one specification of assault, in violation of Article 128, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 928; and one specification each of indecent assault and indecent language, in violation of Article 134, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 934. The court sentenced Appellant to restriction for two months, reduction to E-3, and a bad-conduct discharge. The Convening Authority approved the sentence except for the restriction.

Before this court, Appellant has assigned the following errors:

I.A new trial is warranted because YNC L, an empanelled member at Appellant’s court-martial, failed to disclose a material fact during voir dire that would have provided a basis for a challenge for cause.
II.Specifications 1 and 3 of Charge II fail to state an offense because they do not allege, either expressly or by implication, the terminal element of Article 134, UCMJ.
III. The language Appellant used when speaking to YN2 JC is legally and factually insufficient to support a conviction for communicating indecent language.
IV. Appellant’s hugging of YN2 JC is legally and factually insufficient to support a conviction for wrongful sexual contact under Article 120(m), UCMJ.
V.Appellant’s right to due process was violated when 272 days of delay followed the announcement of the sentence until the Convening Authority acted.
VI.Relief is warranted under Article 66(c), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 866(c), for post-trial delay where 272 days elapsed from trial until the Convening Authority acted.

We reject the fourth issue summarily and discuss the others. We find no error and affirm.

Facts

Appellant was convicted of an unwanted kiss in June 2004, a more serious sexual assault in September 2004, and two wrongful sexual contacts, one accompanied by communication of indecent language, in October 2007. The three victims were female Coast Guard petty officers. The incidents each took place either in or around the building in which he and the victim worked, or in the victim’s home.

New Trial

Appellant asserts that Chief Yeoman L (YNC L), a member of the court-martial, failed to disclose that she had been a named victim in a sexual misconduct case, and that this would have provided a basis for a challenge for cause. This nondisclosure, he argues, warrants a new trial. The argument renews the issue he raised by his post-trial Defense Motion for New Trial (Appellate Ex. LXXV). The military judge denied that motion. (Appellate Ex. LXXVTI, found at Attach. A to Government’s Mot. to Attach dated 5 April 2010.)

The test for determining whether a new trial is required after a court member fails to disclose information in voir dire has two prongs: “[A] party must first demonstrate that a juror failed to answer honestly a material question on voir dire, and then further show that a correct response would have provided a valid basis for a challenge for cause.” United States v. Mack, 41 M.J. 51, 55 (C.M.A.1994) (quoting McDonough Power Equip., Inc. v. Greenwood, 464 U.S. 548, 556, 104 S.Ct. 845, 78 L.Ed.2d 663 (1984)). The military judge’s ruling on a motion for a new trial is reviewed for abuse of discretion. United States v. Humpherys, 57 M.J. 83, 96 (C.A.A.F.2002). We should not disturb the factual findings underlying the military judge’s ruling unless they are clearly erroneous. United States v. Dowty, 60 M.J. 163, 171 (C.A.A.F.2004); United States v. Burris, 21 M.J. 140, 144 (C.M.A.1985).1

[696] During voir dire, court member then-YN1 L was asked, “Have you or anyone you know ever been the victim of sexual assault?” She replied affirmatively as to a co-worker, answered a few other questions regarding the situation, and stated that after it was reported, “he was pretty much transferred,” and the conduct was “pretty much just hugging, touching, ... shoulder rubbing.” (R. at 383-84.) She was not challenged.

After the trial, trial counsel discovered information that nonjudicial punishment had been imposed on an officer for conduct in which YN1 L and a female YN2 were named as “victims.” The conduct resembled what YN1 L had described during voir dire, yet YN1 L had not indicated during voir dire that she was a victim, but only that a coworker was a victim.

A post-trial Article 39(a) session ensued, at which by-then-YNC L was questioned concerning the officer incident and her voir dire responses. At that point, implicitly acknowledging that the officer incident was what she was referring to during voir dire, she stated, “I don’t think that we saw the [officer] incident as a sexual assault case. The girl that talked to me didn’t seem to be a victim.” (R. at 1108.) She stated that, to her, the officer’s gestures were fatherly, friendly and genuine, and not sexual at all, and that they occurred in the workplace. (R. at 1110,1123, 1114.) Concerning the difference between herself and the YN2, she viewed it as a matter of personal preference, that some people don’t like to be touched while others don’t object. (R. at 1110-11.) She also stated, “Because I didn’t feel that [the officer’] sexually assaulted me doesn’t mean that [the YN2] didn’t have the right to feel he did her.” (R. at 1116-17.) The military judge’s findings of fact reflected the foregoing. The military judge also found that the officer’s conduct toward her consisted specifically of hugging, back and neck massages, and one kiss on the cheek. (Ruling on Defense Mot. for New Trial (Ruling) at 4.) When asked if she knew she was named in a charge of fraternization against the officer, YNC L responded that she did not know she was named. (R. at 1113.) In fact, although she knew he had gone to Flag Mast, she did not know what he was charged with. (R. at 1112.)

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United States v. Bernard, 69 M.J. 694, 2010 CCA LEXIS 395, 2010 WL 5174769 (uscgcoca 2010).

69 M.J. 694 (United States v. Bernard) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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