United States v. Fairchild

16 M.J. 746, 1983 CMR LEXIS 807
CourtUnited States Court of Military Appeals
DecidedAugust 15, 1983
DocketACM 23600 (f rev)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 16 M.J. 746 (United States v. Fairchild) 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. Fairchild, 16 M.J. 746, 1983 CMR LEXIS 807 (cma 1983).

Opinion

DECISION UPON FURTHER REVIEW

KASTL, Senior Judge:

Continuing jurisdiction over the accused is the critical issue in this case. Finding in personam jurisdiction present, we affirm the accused’s conviction for larceny, in violation of Article 121, U.C.M.J., 10 U.S.C. § 921.

This case was before us earlier. In United States v. Fairchild, 14 M.J. 918 (A.F.C.M.R.1982), we noted that the accused was disputing jurisdiction for the first time on appeal, claiming that his offense of larceny occurred prior to his discharge and reenlistment, thereby preempting military jurisdiction over him. United States v. Ginyard, 16 U.S.C.M.A. 512, 37 C.M.R. 132 (1967); see also United States v. Clardy, 13 M.J. 308 (C.M.A.1982). Reasoning that the record was insufficient to permit an informed decision on the matter, we directed a limited hearing in accord with United States v. [747]*747DuBay, 17 U.S.C.M.A. 147, 37 C.M.R. 411 (1967).

The military judge ably developed the complex factual pattern; we adopt his findings of fact 1 through 21 as our own. We now set out those findings, together with copies of the relevant documents (Appendix A); the documents are themselves reproductions and additional copying may lose some fidelity. Be that as it may they will be presented and cross-referenced for reading ease and an A-B-C guide employed to show the reader the exact point being referenced. The military judge found as follows:

1. The OSI [Office of Special Investigations] investigation of the thefts of which the accused was eventually convicted was begun on 14 September 1981 and was not closed until 4 February 1982.
2. On 1 October 1981, OSI went to the accused’s residence, advised him of his rights and the nature of the offenses of which he was suspected.
3. On 2 October 1981, the accused was transferred from Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field to Nellis AFB.
4. On 12 November 1981, the accused’s term of service under his enlistment of 13 May 1976 and a subsequent six month extension was due to expire. On that date the accused was in Pitts-burg, California, on emergency leave.
5. On that same date SMSgt L.R. Heberling and TSgt David Lewis, of the Nellis AFB Consolidated Base Personnel Office, discovered the impending expiration of the accused’s service and telephoned him at his leave location. They advised him of the situation and told him to go to Travis AFB to reenlist or extend his current enlistment. They were concerned that the accused would be separated without retirement benefits unless he took steps to stay on active duty.
6. The accused told SMSgt Heberling and TSgt Lewis that he was under investigation at Nellis AFB. They told him that the computer showed no charges pending and showed the accused eligible for reenlistment. They again told him to go to Travis AFB to attend to the matter.
7. There was coordination between the personnel offices at Travis AFB and Nellis AFB in regard to this matter. The Nellis personnel office advised the Travis office that the accused was eligible to reenlist and authorized Travis to proceed with reenlistment.
8. The accused again volunteered that he was under investigation. As a result, TSgt Gene A. Urabe, the Travis AFB Reenlistment and Separations NCOIC, again checked with Nellis AFB to insure the accused eligible to reenlist and was satisfied that it was appropriate to proceed with the reenlistment.
9. Before executing the oath of reenlistment the accused executed AF Form 901, Reenlistment Eligibility Annex to DD Form 4, [Figure 1] and DD Form 4, Enlistment/Reenlistment Document— Armed Forces of the United States (Prosecution Exhibit 2). [Figure 2] The AF Form 901 [Figure 1] was not completely executed. The CBPO action in Section II which calls for a review of the member’s records to insure eligibility and also provides for any reenlistment waiver was not executed. [A] The member’s action in Section III was executed but not dated. [B] In that section the accused’s signature indicates acknowledgement in part A that he was not at that time under investigation by military authorities. [E] The unit commander’s action in Section IY is not completed. [C] In that section the commander confirms eligibility and the absence of an investigation. Section V serves as the discharge order. The parties stipulated and the Court has found that this section was never signed. [D]
10. The AF Form 901 is referenced in Item 10 of the DD Form 4 as an additional detail of the reenlistment. [F] Item 15 of the DD Form 4, the acceptance of the applicant on behalf of the Air Force, is not properly executed. [G]
11. Despite the above noted discrepancies the accused was administered an oath of reenlistment at 1500 hours on 12 [748]*748November 1981 at Travis AFB by Major C.G. May. [¶]
12. Within an hour of the reenlistment oath TSgt Urabe received a telephone call and thereafter asked for the accused’s copy of the DD Form 4. He advised the accused that his reenlistment was invalid and tore the original and copy in half. Prosecution Exhibit 2 is a copy of the torn forms. [The copies at Figures 1 and 2 reflect such tearing].
13. No separation order, discharge order or discharge certificate was ever accomplished or issued.
14. Prior to these events the accused knew that he was under investigation for theft of government property. He had been informed of this by the OSI when he was questioned on 1 October 1981. He had also consulted a military defense counsel and discussed the matter. He had not, however, been notified in writing by his commander regarding his enlistment ineligibility in accordance with AFR 35-16, Volume 1,25 May 1981, paragraph 6-6b. (Appellate Exhibit II.)
15. In accordance with AFR 35-16, Volume I, 25 May 1981, Table 6-2, item 9 (Appellate Exhibit II), the accused was ineligible to reenlist due to the ongoing OSI investigation.
16. This ineligibility should have been input into the personnel computer as a reenlistment ineligibility code. Such action was not initiated by the Security Police until 24 November 1981 (Prosecution Exhibit 3).
17. On 12 November 1981 a charge of a violation of Article 121, UCMJ, was preferred against the accused and was received on behalf of the officer exercising summary court-martial jurisdiction at 1830 hours the same day.
18. Although the accused’s leave address and telephone number were available to the unit commander, he did not inform the accused of the charge until the accused returned from leave on 25 November 1981.
19. In January 1982, 554CSG/DPMQ initiated action under AFR 35-16 to void the accused’s reenlistment (Prosecution Exhibit 6).
20. On 22 March 1982, the reenlistment was declared void by the Air Force (Prosecution Exhibit 11).

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Related

United States v. Fairchild
33 M.J. 970 (U S Air Force Court of Military Review, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
16 M.J. 746, 1983 CMR LEXIS 807, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-fairchild-cma-1983.