United States v. Clark

35 M.J. 98, 1992 CMA LEXIS 163, 1992 WL 219036
CourtUnited States Court of Military Appeals
DecidedSeptember 14, 1992
DocketNo. 66,189; CM 8901701
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 35 M.J. 98 (United States v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Military Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Clark, 35 M.J. 98, 1992 CMA LEXIS 163, 1992 WL 219036 (cma 1992).

Opinions

Opinion of the Court

WISS, Judge:

A general court-martial consisting of officer members convened in Wuerzburg, Germany, and convicted appellant, contrary to his pleas, of 2 specifications of committing indecent acts on a child under the age of 16 years, in violation of Article 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 USC § 934. The court members sentenced appellant to a dishonorable discharge, confinement for 14 years, total forfeitures, and reduction to the lowest enlisted grade. The convening authority approved these results, and the Court of Military Review affirmed in an unpublished opinion dated January 14, 1991.

On appellant’s petition, we granted review of the following four issues of law:

I
WHETHER THE MILITARY JUDGE ERRED TO THE SUBSTANTIAL PREJUDICE OF APPELLANT BY DENYING APPELLANT’S REQUEST FOR CONTINUANCE AND FOR PRODUCTION OF WITNESSES.
II
WHETHER APPELLANT’S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO CONFRONT AND CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES AGAINST HIM WAS DENIED BY ADMISSION OF HEARSAY EVIDENCE ABSENT A SHOWING OF UNAVAILABILITY OF THE DECLARANT.
Ill
WHETHER APPELLANT’S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO CONFRONT AND CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES AGAINST HIM WAS DENIED BY ADMISSION OF HEARSAY WHICH LACKED ADEQUATE INDICIA OF RELIABILITY.
IV
WHETHER THE UNITED STATES ARMY COURT OF MILITARY REVIEW ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN DENYING APPELLANT’S REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL WHERE APPELLANT’S NEWLY DISCOVERED EVIDENCE WAS WITHHELD FROM APPELLANT BY THE GOVERNMENT.

Now, after fully considering these issues, we hold that none has merit. Before more fully discussing them, however, some factual background is necessary to put them in context. The Government’s evidence (see United States v. Seger, 25 MJ 420, 421 (CMA 1988)) reflects the following circumstances that are relevant to the granted issues.

The alleged victims in this case are appellant’s stepdaughter, Nikki, who was 5 years old at the time, and a 13-year-old neighbor named Cindy, who babysat Nikki and her 7-year-old brother named Bran[100]*100don, for appellant and his wife while they worked. Both of the incidents that underlie the charges occurred on July 24, 1988, after appellant had returned home from driving his wife to work.

Cindy was babysitting the children in appellant’s house. When appellant entered the house, Cindy was watching television. He “came up to me ... gave me a hug and he touched me [on my breast] and kissed me on my cheek.” Cindy became upset and pushed him away; appellant stopped but admonished Cindy “not to tell” anyone.

Shortly thereafter, appellant left the house with Nikki, saying that he was going to see if he could buy some toys. About 2 hours later, they returned; appellant left Nikki with Cindy and departed. Cindy and the children visited appellant’s wife at work, and then they went to a playground. Sometime while they were there, Cindy asked Nikki if her “dad ever done anything to you that he was not supposed to.” Nikki responded negatively, but Cindy asked her again. This time, Nikki said she did not want to talk about it in front of other children and asked if they could talk privately.

After Cindy and Nikki had walked away from the other children, Nikki revealed “that her dad had taken her to the corn field ... [and] when they got there that her dad asked her to take off her clothes and he took off his shorts and ... he put Brandon’s thing in her thing.” By “Brandon’s thing,” Cindy understood Nikki to mean “his privates.” Nikki also told Cindy “that her dad had put some cream on her.” Nikki was “crying the whole time” and asked Cindy, “Please don’t tell, because I don’t want my dad to get mad at me.” Cindy, who also began crying, promptly told the story to a friend’s mother, who took Nikki to the local Army hospital.

At the hospital, Nikki was seen by Dr. (Captain) Seaworth, who is a medical doctor, certified in family practice, and who was the emergency room doctor on call that day. Dr. Seaworth testified at trial during an Article 39(a)

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Bluebook (online)
35 M.J. 98, 1992 CMA LEXIS 163, 1992 WL 219036, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-clark-cma-1992.