United States v. Farrell

CourtNavy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedApril 26, 2018
Docket201700011
StatusPublished

This text of United States v. Farrell (United States v. Farrell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Navy-Marine Corps 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. Farrell, (N.M. 2018).

Opinion

U NITED S TATES N AVY –M ARINE C ORPS C OURT OF C RIMINAL A PPEALS _________________________

No. 201700011 _________________________

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Appellee v.

MICHAEL M. FARRELL Lieutenant Colonel (O-5), U.S. Marine Corps Appellant _________________________

Appeal from the United States Navy -Marine Corps Trial Judiciary

Military Judge: Lieutenant Colonel Eugene H. Robinson, Jr., USMC . Convening Authority: Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. Staff Judge Advocate’s Recommendation: Lieutenant Colonel C.B. Shaw, USMC. For Appellant: Commander Donald R. Ostrom, JAGC, USN. For Appellee: Major Kelli A. O’Neil, USMC; Lieutenant George R. Lewis, JAGC, USN. _________________________

Decided 26 April 2018 _________________________

Before M ARKS , J ONES , and W OODARD , Appellate Military Judges _________________________

This opinion does not serve as binding precedent but may be cited as persuasive authority under NMCCA Rule of Practice and Procedure 18.2. _________________________

JONES, Judge: A military judge sitting as a general court-martial convicted the appellant, pursuant to his pleas, of attempted receipt of child pornography, attempted sexual assault of a child, attempted sexual abuse of a child, attempted adultery, conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and fraternization, in violation of Articles 80, 133, and 134, Uniform Code of United States v. Farrell, No. 201700011

Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. §§ 880, 933, and 934 (2012). The military judge sentenced the appellant to 60 months’ confinement, a reprimand, and a dismissal. The convening authority (CA) approved the sentence as adjudged but, pursuant to a pretrial agreement (PTA), suspended all confinement in excess of 30 months and, except for the dismissal, ordered the remainder of the sentence executed. The appellant claims that his trial defense counsel (TDC) were ineffective because they: (1) failed to seek his release from pretrial confinement and move the court for confinement credit under RULE FOR COURTS-MARTIAL (R.C.M.) 305(k), MANUAL FOR COURTS-MARTIAL, UNITED STATES (2016 ed.); and (2) failed to raise an Article 10, UCMJ, speedy trial motion. The appellant also asserts that he suffered pretrial punishment in violation of Article 13, UCMJ. Although not raised by the parties, we note that the court-martial order contains an error, and we order corrective action in our decretal paragraph. We conclude the findings and sentence are correct in law and fact and find no error materially prejudicial to the appellant’s substantial rights. Arts. 59(a) and 66(c), UCMJ. I. BACKGROUND In January 2015, in Okinawa, Japan, the appellant began using instant messaging applications to exchange sexually charged text messages with someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. In reality, he was communicating with an undercover law enforcement agent. On 30 June 2015, the appellant drove to base housing to pick up the fictional girl and take her to an off-base hotel room he had rented for a sexual encounter. He was apprehended and interrogated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). A search of the appellant’s phone revealed that he had also been engaging in sexual conversations and exchanging sexually explicit pictures with multiple male enlisted personnel. NCIS later discovered he was also a suspect in another undercover criminal investigation involving an underage girl. The appellant was arraigned in October 2015, and trial was set for January 2016. But in December 2015, the military judge granted the TDC’s continuance motion, moving the trial to April 2016. Then, in January 2016, the appellant filed a motion alleging the CA was an accuser and seeking dismissal of the charges. On 10 March 2016, the military judge granted the appellant’s accuser motion—finding that Brigadier General (BGen) King was a “type three” accuser in violation of Article 1(9), UCMJ—and dismissed the charges without prejudice.1 Seven days after the ruling, the government

1 Appellate Exhibit (AE) XXXIX. The defense motion “focused on BGen King’s role in the Operational Planning Team for the Marine Corps SAPR [Sexual Assault

2 United States v. Farrell, No. 201700011

preferred charges alleging the same offenses and misconduct, and one additional charge. The appellant eventually negotiated a PTA and pleaded guilty in September 2016. The appellant remained in pretrial confinement from the day of his apprehension until his guilty plea and sentencing. II. DISCUSSION A. Ineffective assistance of counsel The appellant asserts that his TDC were ineffective because they: (1) failed to seek his release from confinement and move the court for confinement credit; and (2) failed to raise an Article 10, UCMJ, speedy trial motion. We disagree. We review claims of ineffective assistance of counsel de novo. United States v. Akbar, 74 M.J. 364, 379 (C.A.A.F. 2015). The appellant bears the burden of showing: (1) that his counsel’s performance was deficient and (2) that, but for his counsel’s deficient performance, there is a reasonable probability that the result of the proceeding would have been different. Id. (citing Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 694 (1984)). Both prongs must be satisfied for the appellant to clear this “high bar” and prevail on such a claim. Id. at 371. In a guilty plea context, however, the burden on the appellant is even greater. This is because “[t]he second [Strickland] prong is modified to focus on whether the ‘ineffective performance affected the outcome of the plea process.’” United States v. Bradley, 71 M.J. 13, 16 (C.A.A.F. 2012) (quoting Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52, 59, (1985)). And “[i]t is not necessary to decide the issue of deficient performance when it is apparent that the alleged deficiency has not caused prejudice.” Id. (citing Loving v. United States, 68 M.J. 1, 2 (C.A.A.F. 2009)). ‘“[T]o satisfy the “prejudice” requirement, the defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but for

and Prevention Response] Campaign, his testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee and his unwillingness to resolve the case short of a contested trial.” Appellant’s Brief of 31 May 2017 at 5-6. The appellant had been a main member of BGen King’s staff, and just prior to the incident BGen King had written the appellant a letter of recommendation to work at the White House. After the appellant was apprehended, BGen King revoked his recommendation. AE XXXIV. The military judge found that the personal relationship between BGen King and the appellant, as well as BGen King’s significant role in the development of the SAPR Campaign (see AE XXXVI), gave rise to an appearance of partiality. Based on this appearance, the military judge concluded that BGen King was a “type-three” accuser—someone with a personal (rather than an official) interest in the prosecution of the appellant—in violation of Article 1(9), UCMJ. Lieutenant General Nicholson—the Commanding General of III Marine Expeditionary Force, and superior in command to BGen King— took over as CA. See Art 22(b), UCMJ.

3 United States v. Farrell, No. 201700011

counsel’s errors, he would not have pleaded guilty and would have insisted on going to trial.”’ Id. (quoting Hill, 474 U.S. at 59) (alteration in original). “A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.

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United States v. Farrell, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-farrell-nmcca-2018.