United States v. Dingwall

54 M.J. 949, 2001 CCA LEXIS 109, 2001 WL 322711
CourtArmy Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedApril 4, 2001
DocketARMY 20000112
StatusPublished

This text of 54 M.J. 949 (United States v. Dingwall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Army Court of Criminal 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. Dingwall, 54 M.J. 949, 2001 CCA LEXIS 109, 2001 WL 322711 (acca 2001).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

MERCK, Senior Judge:

A military judge, sitting as a general court-martial, convicted appellant, pursuant to his pleas, of desertion, larceny (four specifications), and stealing mail (five specifications), in violation of Articles 85, 121, and 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 885, 921, and 934 [hereinafter UCMJ]. The military judge sentenced appellant to a dishonorable discharge, confinement for thirty-six months, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and reduction to Private El. The convening authority approved only so much of the adjudged sentence as provided for a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for twenty-four months, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and reduction to Private El. Appellant was granted sixty days of confinement credit.

[950]*950This case is before the court for mandatory review pursuant to Article 66, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 866. We have considered the record of trial, appellant’s assignment of error,1 the matters personally raised by appellant pursuant to United States v. Grostefon, 12 M.J. 431 (C.M.A.1982), and the government’s reply. The matters submitted pursuant to Grostefon are without merit; however, appellant’s assignment of error warrants discussion and appropriate relief.

FACTS2

Appellant deserted the U.S. Army on 2 September 1999. At 0600 hours (Pacific Standard Time), 14 December 1999, California law enforcement officers apprehended appellant at his parents’ home. His commander at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was notified of his apprehension through the AWOL apprehension military police (MP) section on 14 December 1999 and ordered his return to Fort Bragg. The civilian authorities did not conduct a bail hearing or probable cause determination to decide the validity of appellant’s confinement. On 15 December 1999, MPs were dispatched to California to escort appellant back to Fort Bragg. Appellant was released to Fort Bragg MPs at 1300 hours on 16 December 1999. At 1500 hours (Eastern Standard Time) on 16 December 1999, fifty-four hours after appellant was arrested, appellant’s brigade commander conducted the 48-hour probable cause determination required by Rule for Courts-Martial [hereinafter R.C.M.] 305(i)(1). Appellant arrived at Fort Bragg at approximately 1200 hours on 17 December 1999. A review of the pretrial confinement was done by a military magistrate in accordance with R.C.M. 305(i)(2), at 1500 hours on 17 December 1999.

DISCUSSION

At trial, the government conceded that appellant was entitled to day-for-day credit against his sentence to confinement for the time he spent in pretrial confinement. See United States v. Allen, 17 M.J. 126 (C.M.A. 1984); United States v. DeLeon, 53 M.J. 658 (Army Ct.Crim.App.2000). However, appellant asserted at trial and asserts on appeal that he is also entitled to credit in accordance with R.C.M. 305(k) because the government failed to provide him with a probable cause determination within 48 hours of imposition of confinement under military control, as required by R.C.M. 305(i).3 Appellant bases this assertion on two grounds: first, the review was untimely, and second, his brigade commander was not neutral and detached.4 The military judge held, and the government argues on appeal, that the government “substantially complied” with the 48-hour requirement of R.C.M. 305(i)(1).5

I. History of Requirements for Timely Review of Pretrial Confinement

Rule for Courts-Martial 305(i)(1), as it existed in the 1984 Manual for Courts-Martial, stated, “A review of the adequacy of probable cause to believe the prisoner has committed an offense and of the necessity for continued confinement shall be made within 7 days of the imposition of confinement.” (Emphasis added). This version of the Rule applied not only when a servicemember was confined in a military facility but also when a soldier was “arrested by civilian authorities for a military offense and detained ... with notice and approval of military authorities.” [951]*951United States v. Ballesteros, 29 M.J. 14, 16 (C.M.A.1989); cf. United States v. DeLoatch, 25 M.J. 718, 719 (A.C.M.R.1987). This rationale relied on the fact that “R.C.M. 305, ma[de] no distinction ... between confinement authorized by appellant’s commander and that authorized by other competent authority.” DeLoatch, 25 M.J. at 719; see also Ballesteros, 29 M.J. at 16 (agreeing with the rationale of DeLoatch).

In December 1992, we determined that County of Riverside v. McLaughlin, 500 U.S. 44, 111 S.Ct. 1661, 114 L.Ed.2d 49 (1991)(judicial determinations of probable cause within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest are presumed to be prompt) required the government to comply with the new 48-hour presumption in the military. United States v. Rexroat, 36 M.J. 708, 713 (A.C.M.R. 1992) (en banc), aff'd on this issue, 38 M.J. 292 (C.M.A.1993). A month later in United States v. Stuart, 36 M.J. 746, 748 (A.C.M.R. 1993) , we held that when a soldier is “arrested] by civilian authorities with notice and approval of military authorities,” the 48-hour McLaughlin/Rexroat clock begins to run.

In December 1993,6 the President amended R.C.M. 305(i)(1) adding the triggering requirement for review of pretrial confinement that the prisoner be “under military control.” Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (2000 ed.)[hereinafter MCM, 2000], app. 25, A25-12, A25-16. The analysis to the amendment states:

[T]he required review only becomes applicable whenever the accused is confined under military control. For example, if the prisoner was apprehended and is being held by civilian authorities as a military deserter in another state from where the prisoner’s unit is located and it takes three days to transfer the prisoner to an appropriate confinement facility, the seven day 7 period under this rule would not begin to run until the date of the prisoner’s transfer to military authorities.

MCM, 2000 at A21-19.8 In January 1998, in analyzing the applicability of R.C.M. 305, our superior court decided that R.C.M. 3059 “must be followed if a military member is confined by civilian authorities for a military offense and with notice and approval of military authorities.” United States v. Lamb, 47 M.J. 384, 385 (1998).10

II. Interpretation and Application of the Current R.C.M. 305(i)

In May 1998, the current version of R.C.M. 305(i)(1) took effect and states:

Review of the adequacy of probable cause to continue pretrial confinement shall be made by a neutral and detached officer within 1),8 hours of imposition of confinement

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Related

County of Riverside v. McLaughlin
500 U.S. 44 (Supreme Court, 1991)
United States v. Lamb
47 M.J. 384 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 1998)
United States v. DeLeon
53 M.J. 658 (Army Court of Criminal Appeals, 2000)
United States v. Ellsey
16 C.M.A. 455 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1966)
United States v. Grostefon
12 M.J. 431 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1982)
United States v. Allen
17 M.J. 126 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1984)
United States v. DeLoatch
25 M.J. 718 (U.S. Army Court of Military Review, 1987)
United States v. Ballesteros
29 M.J. 14 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1989)
United States v. Rexroat
36 M.J. 708 (U.S. Army Court of Military Review, 1992)
United States v. Stuart
36 M.J. 746 (U.S. Army Court of Military Review, 1993)
United States v. Rexroat
38 M.J. 292 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1993)
United States v. McCants
39 M.J. 91 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1994)
United States v. McLeod
39 M.J. 278 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
54 M.J. 949, 2001 CCA LEXIS 109, 2001 WL 322711, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-dingwall-acca-2001.