United States v. Browning

54 M.J. 1, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 945, 2000 WL 1239302
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedAugust 31, 2000
Docket99-0417/AR
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 54 M.J. 1 (United States v. Browning) 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. Browning, 54 M.J. 1, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 945, 2000 WL 1239302 (Ark. 2000).

Opinions

Judge GIERKE

delivered the opinion of the Court.

A general court-martial composed of officer and enlisted members convicted appellant, contrary to his pleas, of larceny (12 specifications) and filing false documents for the purpose of obtaining payments of claims against the United States (10 specifications), in violation of Articles 121 and 132, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 USC §§ 921 and 932, respectively. The adjudged and approved sentence provides for a dishonorable discharge, confinement for 10 years, total forfeitures, and reduction to the lowest enlisted grade. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed in an unpublished opinion.

This Court granted review of the following issues:

I
WHETHER THE MILITARY JUDGE ABUSED HIS DISCRETION BY NOT EXCLUDING, UNDER MIL.R.EVID. 403 AND 404(b), EVIDENCE OF THE MISCONDUCT OF OTHER ACTORS.
II
WHETHER THE MILITARY JUDGE COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR BY ADMITTING EVIDENCE OF AN UNCHARGED CONSPIRACY AND BY REPEATEDLY INSTRUCTING THE MEMBERS ON APPELLANT’S LIABILITY AS A CO-CONSPIRATOR.
III
WHETHER THE MILITARY JUDGE ABUSED HIS DISCRETION IN PERMITTING TRIAL COUNSEL TO PRESENT EVIDENCE THAT APPELLANT HAD THREATENED THE LIFE OF THE KEY PROSECUTION WITNESS.
IV
WHETHER THE MILITARY JUDGE ERRED IN REFUSING THE DEFENSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT CERTAIN WITNESSES AND CERTAIN TESTIMONY THAT SUPPORTED THE DEFENSE’S THEORY OF THE CASE.

For the reasons set out below, we affirm.

ISSUES I, II, AND III: EVIDENCE OF UNCHARGED MISCONDUCT

Factual Background

The prosecution theory was that appellant, in his capacity as noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment Comptroller’s Office, participated with several soldiers in a fraudulent temporary-duty (TDY)-travel scheme. Appellant or one of his subordinates in the Comptroller’s Office would authorize issuance of travel orders for bogus TDY trips or would create bogus receipts reflecting travel expenses. Various soldiers involved in the scheme would then use these bogus documents to fraudulently establish their entitlement to compensation for travel expenses.

Ultimately, one of appellant’s subordinates, Private (PVT) Joncoaltz, who was then a Staff Sergeant (SSG), confessed his own involvement in the scheme and implicated others, including appellant. The defense theory was that PVT Joncoaltz fi-amed appellant.

Before the trial began, the Government notified the defense, in accordance with Mil.R.Evid. 404(b), Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (1995 ed.)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
54 M.J. 1, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 945, 2000 WL 1239302, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-browning-armfor-2000.