United States v. Colon-Angueira

16 M.J. 20, 1983 CMA LEXIS 19837
CourtUnited States Court of Military Appeals
DecidedJuly 5, 1983
DocketNo. 42,410; CM 440537
StatusPublished
Cited by56 cases

This text of 16 M.J. 20 (United States v. Colon-Angueira) 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. Colon-Angueira, 16 M.J. 20, 1983 CMA LEXIS 19837 (cma 1983).

Opinions

Opinion of the Court

FLETCHER, Judge:

Contrary to his pleas, appellant was found guilty of rape and wrongful appropriation of a motor vehicle, in violation of Articles 120 and 121, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 920 and 921, respectively. The military judge sitting at this general court-martial sentenced him to a dishonorable discharge and 12 years’ confinement at hard labor. The convening authority approved this sentence. The United States Army Court of Military Review affirmed the findings of guilty and the sentence.

The first issue upon which this Court granted review is:

WHETHER THE MILITARY JUDGE ERRED IN DENYING THE APPELLANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS THE CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS BECAUSE OF LACK OF SPEEDY TRIAL.

The facts necessary to resolve this issue are substantially uncontested and are summarized below.

The record of trial reveals that appellant was “apprehended and placed in pretrial confinement” on July 11, 1980. On that same day, Captain Robert Guerra, an Army lawyer acting on behalf of appellant, informed trial counsel that a psychiatric evaluation was desired. On July 14, 1980, appellant was “transferred to the Irwin Army Hospital Psychiatric Ward after a suicidal gesture.” On July 24, 1980, appellant was “MEDEVACED” to Brooke Army Medical [22]*22Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. There, his psychiatric evaluation was conducted and completed on September 2,1980. He was returned to pretrial confinement the next day and remained there until his trial began on October 22, 1980.

Defense counsel prior to trial moved for dismissal of the charges against appellant because of denial of his right to a speedy trial. The military judge found that 110 days had elapsed between his initial apprehension and confinement and the date of the speedy trial motion. Nevertheless, he denied the motion because he found that the Government was not accountable for a 51-day period during which appellant was undergoing psychiatric evaluation. He specifically noted that the restraint imposed in the hospital was necessary to prevent further self-destructive behavior on the part of appellant and to facilitate his treatment. We hold that these circumstances and appellant’s earlier request for such an examination justify this ruling.

A similar situation was presented in United States v. Leonard, 3 M.J. 214 (C.M.A.1977). There, this Court held that for purposes of speedy post-trial review, a reasonable time delay to permit a defense-requested psychiatric examination was not chargeable to the Government. We see no reason why the same rule should not apply for speedy trial purposes. See United States v. McClain, 1 M.J. 60, 63 (C.M.A.1975); see also The Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(1)(A). Although some problem may exist when the Government’s conduct delays such an examination, no such circumstance exists in the present case. See United States v. Beach, 1 M.J. 118 (C.M.A.1975). Therefore, we resolve this issue against appellant.

The second issue upon which review was granted was:

WHETHER THE REFUSAL OF THE MILITARY JUDGE TO ALLOW THE DEFENSE COUNSEL TO QUESTION THE RAPE VICTIM ABOUT HER CONSENSUAL SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH MEN OTHER THAN HER HUSBAND SUBSEQUENT TO THE RAPE WAS CONSTITUTIONALLY PERMISSIBLE IN LIGHT OF THE SIXTH AMENDMENT’S CONFRONTATION CLAUSE.

The facts necessary to resolve this question are substantially uncontested and are summarized below.

The alleged victim in this case took the stand and testified for the Government. She stated that appellant pulled a knife on her while she was driving him as a customer in her cab. She asserted that he held this knife in her ribs and directed her to drive down several back country roads and finally told her to park the cab. During this time, she noted that appellant had detached the microphone of her car radio.

The prosecutrix then testified that appellant told her to get out of the cab. She stated that he approached her, grabbed her arm, put the knife back at her ribs, and led her to a small clearing in the bushes. Continuing her testimony, she stated that appellant removed her shirt, cut her bra straps, and pulled her bra down. At that point, she stated appellant ordered her to remove the remainder of her clothes and forced her to the ground. She then stated that appellant had sexual intercourse with her. She asserted that she submitted to appellant because of the threat of the knife, and she believed any resistance would be futile.

The prosecutrix further testified that appellant then pulled his own pants back up and told her to stay there for ten minutes. She stated that appellant left and shortly thereafter she heard a car start up. She then got dressed and ran towards the troop housing area with her bra in her hand. She went to the guard house and told the people there what had happened. Later that night, she saw her taxi parked on base.

Prior to cross-examination of this witness, defense counsel informed the military judge that he intended to question her about her sexual conduct after the alleged offense with men other than her husband. Counsel asserted that it had recently come to his attention that the prosecutrix had [23]*23discovered prior to the alleged rape that her husband was unfaithful to her. He also asserted that she consensually engaged in sexual intercourse with two of her fellow cab drivers after the alleged offense. Accordingly, defense counsel argued that her answers to these questions would be probative of her motivation to consent to sexual intercourse with appellant. The military judge permitted defense counsel to question this witness about the state of her marriage at the time of the offense but refused to allow him to question her about her sexual conduct after the offense. The trial of appellant then proceeded. The prosecutrix on cross-examination denied that her husband had ever been unfaithful to her.

Later in the trial the Government called Specialist Four Herman Robinson, Jr., to the stand. He testified that he was Sergeant of the guard on the night in question; that at the motor pool fence he discovered a crying female who seemed emotionally upset; and that she had a bra in her hand and said that she was raped. The cut bra was also admitted into evidence by the Government.

Appellant took the stand in his own defense. He admitted having sexual intercourse with the prosecutrix on the night in question, but asserted that at all times he believed that she was willing and responsive. He admitted that he had a knife at the time of the alleged offense and that he unnecessarily cut her bra straps. He asserted, however, that he did not attack the prosecutrix with it but rather used it to cut branches as they were moving through the bushes. Furthermore, he testified that, on the day in question, he had hallucinations of seeing spirits and little things like spiders. Finally, he testified that a devil or demon forced him to act in the way he acted.

The defense then called Mrs. Robison to the stand. She stated that she worked with the prosecutrix as a cab driver.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 M.J. 20, 1983 CMA LEXIS 19837, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-colon-angueira-cma-1983.