United States v. Casillas

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedAugust 20, 2025
Docket24-0089/AF
StatusPublished

This text of United States v. Casillas (United States v. Casillas) 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. Casillas, (Ark. 2025).

Opinion

This opinion is subject to revision before publication.

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ARMED FORCES _______________

UNITED STATES Appellee

v.

Nikolas S. CASILLAS, Airman First Class United States Air Force, Appellant

No. 24-0089 Crim. App. No. 40302

Argued January 14, 2025—Decided August 20, 2025

Military Judge: Colin P. Eichenberger

For Appellant: Captain Samantha M. Castanien (argued); Major Spencer R. Nelson (on brief); Lieutenant Colonel Allen S. Abrams.

For Appellee: Captain Kate E. Lee (argued); Colonel Matthew D. Talcott, Lieutenant Colonel Jenny A. Liabenow, and Mary Ellen Payne, Esq. (on brief).

Judge HARDY delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Chief Judge OHLSON, Judge SPARKS, Judge MAGGS, and Judge JOHNSON joined. _______________ United States v. Casillas, No. 24-0089/AF Opinion of the Court

Judge HARDY delivered the opinion of the Court. Airman First Class SF, the victim in this case, fell asleep after hosting a party in her apartment for a fellow servicemember. Appellant, Airman First Class Nikolas S. Casillas, remained in SF’s apartment after most of the other guests went home. When SF woke up, Appellant was committing a sexual act upon her. Under the theory that SF did not consent to the sexual act, the Government charged Appellant with two specifica- tions of sexual assault in violation of Article 120, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. § 920 (2018).1 A general court-martial convicted Appellant of one of those specifications and acquitted him of the other. The United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals (AFCCA) af- firmed. United States v. Casillas, No. ACM 40302, 2023 CCA LEXIS 527, at *25, 2023 WL 8678806, at *9 (A.F. Ct. Crim. App. Dec. 15, 2023) (unpublished). Before this Court, Appellant challenges multiple as- pects of his conviction. First, Appellant brings both facial and as-applied challenges to the constitutionality of Arti- cle 120(b)(2) and (g)(7), UCMJ. Second, Appellant argues that his conviction was legally insufficient. Third, Appel- lant argues that the military judge abused his discretion when he denied Appellant’s challenges of a panel member for actual and implied bias. And finally, Appellant raises two issues related to 18 U.S.C. § 922, a provision of the Gun Control Act of 1968 that restricts the Second Amendment rights of various categories of people, including people con- victed of certain crimes. 2

1 Unless otherwise noted, all references in this opinion to the UCMJ are to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (2019 ed.) (MCM). 2 The Court granted review of the following six issues:

I. Whether Article 120(b)(2) and (g)(7), Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 920(b)(2) and (g)(7), are unconstitutionally vague because

2 United States v. Casillas, No. 24-0089/AF Opinion of the Court

In light of this Court’s opinion in United States v. Men- doza, 85 M.J. 213 (C.A.A.F. 2024), we deny Appellant’s con- stitutional challenges to Article 120, UCMJ. We also reject Appellant’s challenge to the legal sufficiency of his convic- tion because there was a period during the sexual assault— after the victim awoke—when the victim was capable of consenting, but she did not consent to sexual activity. With respect to Appellant’s challenge of Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt) AG, a panel member, for actual and im- plied bias, we conclude that the military judge did not err in denying those challenges. Finally, in accordance with

they fail to put defendants on fair notice of the specific charge against them. II. As applied, whether Article 120(b)(2) and (g)(7), Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 920(b)(2) and (g)(7), gave Appellant constitu- tional fair notice when the military judge denied defense counsel’s request for a tailored jury in- struction. III. Whether Appellant’s conviction for sexual as- sault without consent was legally sufficient. IV. In a sexual assault trial, did the military judge abuse his discretion when he denied the accused’s challenge for actual and implied bias for a mem- ber whose wife had been raped? V. Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces has jurisdiction to direct modi- fication of the 18 U.S.C. § 922 prohibition noted on the Staff Judge Advocate’s indorsement to the en- try of judgment. VI. As applied to Appellant, whether the Govern- ment can prove 18 U.S.C. § 922 is constitutional by “demonstrating that it is consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation” when he was not convicted of a violent offense (quoting New York State Rifle and Pistol Associa- tion, Inc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1, 24 (2022)). United States v. Casillas, 84 M.J. 477 (C.A.A.F. 2024) (order granting review).

3 United States v. Casillas, No. 24-0089/AF Opinion of the Court

this Court’s decision in United States v. Johnson, __ M.J. __ (C.A.A.F. 2025), we decide that because this Court lacks the authority to act on the § 922 indication in the Entry of Judgment (EOJ), Appellant’s constitutional challenge to 18 U.S.C. § 922 is moot. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the AFCCA. I. Background A. Factual Background SF, the victim in this case, held a birthday party at her apartment for ZM, a fellow servicemember. SF invited HC, also a servicemember, to the party, and HC in turn invited Appellant. MM, a civilian, was also present. During the party, SF became intoxicated. After the party, Appellant, ZM, and MM stayed in SF’s house. HC left but came back after SF told her she didn’t want Appellant at her house. When HC came back to SF’s apartment, HC asked SF if she was okay with Appellant being there, at which time SF at first did not answer, but then mumbled something to the effect that it was okay. After HC also talked to Appellant, who said he would be leaving within half an hour, HC left the apartment again. After HC left the house, SF was feeling “super woozy” and “really tired.” SF lay down on her bed, and at that time, MM was also on her bed. After SF fell asleep, MM moved to sleep in another room. Later, SF woke up to Appellant penetrating her vulva with his penis. At trial, SF testified that in the moment she was awake, she did not consent to this. After SF woke up, Appellant pulled up SF’s pants and went to the bathroom. After Appellant came out of the bathroom, SF went into the bathroom to call her friend ES, another servicemember, to ask him to come over to get Appellant out of the house. SF testified that she called ES—“someone scary” and “a big dude”—because she was afraid and there was no better person to kick someone out of her apartment. After ES arrived, Appellant left at ES’s direction.

4 United States v. Casillas, No. 24-0089/AF Opinion of the Court

B. Voir Dire and Panel Member Challenge During group voir dire, CMSgt AG, a potential panel member, revealed that he had a family member who had been the victim of an offense similar to the one charged in this case. During individual voir dire, CMSgt AG disclosed that his wife had been raped about thirty years prior to the court-martial.

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