United States v. Fowler

6 M.J. 501, 1978 CMR LEXIS 633
CourtU S Air Force Court of Military Review
DecidedAugust 23, 1978
DocketACM S24584
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 6 M.J. 501 (United States v. Fowler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U S Air Force Court of Military Review primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Fowler, 6 M.J. 501, 1978 CMR LEXIS 633 (usafctmilrev 1978).

Opinion

DECISION

ORSER, Judge:

Tried by a special court-martial, with members, the accused was convicted, consonant with his pleas, of ten specifications of making and uttering worthless checks (eight with intent to defraud and two with intent to deceive), in violation of Article 123a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 923a. The approved sentence is a bad conduct discharge, confinement at hard labor for six months, forfeiture of $265.00 per month for six months and reduction to airman basic.

On appeal, appellate defense counsel assert that the trial counsel was disqualified from participating in the court-martial because he earlier rendered legal assistance to the accused concerning the same matter for which he was tried.

At the trial which was held on 21 December 1977, the appointed trial counsel, Captain W, announced for the military judge and the record that he had not acted as a member of the defense in the case or as counsel for the accused at a pretrial investigation or other proceedings involving the same general matter. Article 27(a), Code, 10 U.S.C. § 827(a), supra; Air Force pamphlet 111-6, 19 April 1976; Manual for Courts-Martial, 1969 (Rev.), paragraph 61e. At no time during the proceeding did the accused voice an objection to the trial counsel’s participation.

In a post-trial affidavit accepted by this court,1 the accused avers that on or about 5 August 1977, prior to the date charges were preferred, he received legal assistance from Captain W. In his affidavit, the accused states that after being informed that a number of checks he had written had been returned for insufficient funds, he went to the Rhein-Main Air Base legal office for advice and was given an appointment to see Captain W. He continues that he “discussed the situation with Captain W and explained the matter in detail with him and he later on advised me just to go ahead and pay off the debts.”

In response to the accused’s affidavit, appellate government counsel have filed an affidavit executed by Captain W. In it Captain W admits that the accused on one occasion prior to trial visited his office for legal assistance concerning his overdrawn checking account. Although he has no independent recollection of his meeting with the accused, Captain W concedes that an office legal assistance record (AF Form 1175) reflects that he saw the accused at his office on 10 August 1977. Captain W states that on the front of the record he wrote, “AAFES-$400; NCO Club 50.” On the other side he indicated, “over drawn account/referred Captain [L].”2

Captain W’s affidavit continues that pri- or to trial he and the accused’s counsel, Captain L, discussed the fact that the accused had visited him for legal assistance concerning his overdrawn checking account. He states he informed Captain L that in spite of the legal assistance record he did not remember ever seeing his client. Captain W explains that his office screens legal assistance problems closely in an effort to insure that potential military justice problems are referred to the area defense counsel. He states that during his two years at Rhein-Main he recalls only two or three times when he has referred legal assistance clients in that manner. On each such occasion, he says, he terminated the interview immediately upon ascertaining the general nature of the problem, rendered no advice, and referred the individual to the defense office. Captain W emphasizes that as his normal duty is to serve as trial counsel, he [503]*503is extremely aware of possible conflicts with legal assistance clients. He states he at no time developed an attorney-client relationship with the accused, nor did the accused provide him with any information which could be considered sensitive in an adversarial court-martial proceeding. He concludes that Captain L discussed the matter with his client prior to trial and subsequently informed him there was no legal, procedural or tactical disadvantage to the accused in consequence of their 10 August 1977 meeting.

Notwithstanding the purported defense acquiescence to Captain W’s participation, the issue we must resolve is whether Captain W’s pre-trial consultation with the accused disqualified him from serving as trial counsel during trial pursuant to Article 27(a), Code, supra, which provides, in pertinent part, that no person who has acted for the defense may subsequently act in the same case for the prosecution.

Initially, we must reject'the appellate government position that the defense waived the issue by choosing not to object to the trial counsel’s participation. See United States v. Webb, 10 U.S.C.M.A. 422, 27 C.M.R. 496 (1959); United States v. Mundy, 2 U.S.C.M.A. 500, 9 C.M.R. 130 (1953). Although in different circumstances we might agree, see e. g., United States v. Wood, 18 U.S.C.M.A. 291, 40 C.M.R. 3 (1969); United States v. Doctor, 7 U.S.C.M.A. 126, 21 C.M.R. 252 (1956); United States v. Fisher, 4 U.S.C.M.A. 152, 15 C.M.R. 152 (1954), we are loathe to invoke the doctrine of waiver as to a claimed error which could result in a manifest miscarriage of justice or otherwise seriously affect the fairness or integrity of courts-martial. United States v. Stringer, 4 U.S.C.M.A. 494, 16 C.M.R. 68 (1954). In the words of the United States Court of Military Appeals in Stringer, concerning this same issue:

While a due regard for the proper and orderly administration of justice constrains us to emphasize the duty of counsel to make seasonable objection at the trial, it is clear that we may consider error first urged on appeal which is alleged to violate due process of law and deny to an accused the substance of a fair trial.

16 C.M.R. at 72-73.

Having carefully considered the affidavits submitted by the parties, and despite the general denial by Captain W, we find that an attorney-client relationship was created between the prosecutor and the accused. The accused’s statement that he discussed his returned checks with Captain W in detail and the latter advised him to make restitution on them stands unrefuted in the trial counsel’s affidavit. Captain W’s statement of his standing “hands-off” policy respecting legal assistance clients who disclose potential military justice problems simply does not respond to the accused’s specific recollection of their meeting. See United States v. Collier, 20 U.S.C.M.A. 261, 43 C.M.R. 101, 104 (1971).

We further find there is a substantial likelihood that the insufficient fund checks discussed with Captain W were among those which were the subject of the charges at trial. The timing and circumstances of the conference certainly suggests such to be the case. The meeting was subsequent to the dates alleged in the check offenses; and Captain W’s notations on the legal assistance record of the payees and amounts of the checks discussed closely parallels those particulars of the specifications.

The protection of the attorney-client relationship is one of the most well-settled and rigorously enforced rules in the law. United States v. McCluskey, 6 U.S.C.M.A. 545, 20 C.M.R. 261 (1955); United States v. Sulin, 44 C.M.R. 624 (A.F.C.M.R.1971). The creation of the relationship does not forever thereafter preclude an attorney from taking a position adverse to his former client.

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6 M.J. 501, 1978 CMR LEXIS 633, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-fowler-usafctmilrev-1978.