United States v. Glazier

24 M.J. 550, 1987 CMR LEXIS 183
CourtU.S. Army Court of Military Review
DecidedMarch 31, 1987
DocketSPCM 22537
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 24 M.J. 550 (United States v. Glazier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Army 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. Glazier, 24 M.J. 550, 1987 CMR LEXIS 183 (usarmymilrev 1987).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT ON RECONSIDERATION

SMITH, Judge:

Pursuant to Rule 19(a), Army Regulation 27-13 (Cl, 1986), we have reconsidered our earlier decision in this case.1

On 15 May 1986 the appellant was tried by a special court-martial composed of officer members at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Pursuant to his pleas, appellant was convicted of disobeying an order of a commissioned officer, wrongful use of marijuana, and wrongful appropriation of a motor vehicle, in violation of Articles 92, 112a, and 121, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 892, 912a, and 921 (1982 & Supp. II 1984), respectively. The members sentenced appellant to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for three months, forfeiture of $426.00 pay per month for three months, and reduction to Private E-l. The convening authority approved the sentence.

On 20 October 1985, appellant was deployed with his unit in Turkey. On that date, and contrary to his unit commander’s orders, he drove his assigned vehicle, a Vi ton military truck, from the brigade support area for the purpose of sightseeing. En route to Ipsala, Turkey, appellant and his passenger, a Private First Class (PFC) Garretson, consumed alcoholic beverages and were involved in an accident. The V4 ton truck was damaged and PFC Garretson subsequently died from injuries suffered in the accident. Based upon these facts, appellant was initially charged with negligent damage of the military truck and involuntary manslaughter in addition to the charges on which he was tried and convicted. Due to insufficient evidence, the negligent damage and involuntary manslaughter charges were dismissed by the convening authority and not referred to trial.

[552]*552Prior to trial the trial counsel, defense counsel, and appellant had agreed upon the contents of a stipulation of fact (Prosecution Exhibit 1), as provided for in the pretrial agreement. During the presentencing portion of the trial, however, the defense counsel moved to have the military judge excise certain facts from the stipulation. Specifically, trial defense counsel objected to the inclusion of the facts that PFC Garretson had suffered injuries in the accident and died therefrom, that the V4 ton truck was damaged and that the amount of damage was $2,054.28, and that appellant and PFC Garretson had consumed alcohol prior to the accident. While defense counsel acknowledged the general admissibility of relevant aggravating circumstances of the offenses under the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, 1984, Rule for Courts-Martial 1001(b)(4) [hereinafter R.C.M.], he contended that Military Rule of Evidence 404(b) [hereinafter Mil.R.Evid.] (other crimes, wrongs, and acts) and MiLR.Evid. 403 (probative value substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice) precluded the admissibility of these facts in this case.

The military judge denied trial defense counsel’s motion, finding that all three facts were relevant to show the facts and circumstances surrounding the offenses of which appellant was convicted. He found the facts so closely intertwined with the charged offenses as to be “part and parcel” of the charged offenses and therefore part of the res gestae. He further found that the damage to the vehicle and the death of PFC Garretson were repercussions of the offenses and evidence of “significant adverse impact on the mission, discipline or efficiency of the command resulting from the accused’s offenses.” The military judge then determined that the evidence of the use of alcohol, the extent of damage to the vehicle, and the death of PFC Garret-son were relevant to the determination of an appropriate sentence under R.C.M. 1001(b)(4), and that the probative value of the evidence substantially outweighed any danger “to the accused’s fair trial rights” within the meaning of Mil.R.Evid. 403. After ruling upon the motion, the military judge determined that appellant wanted to comply with the terms of the pretrial agreement and no longer objected to the stipulation as written and agreed upon; the complete stipulation of fact was then admitted as evidence for consideration by the court members.

Appellant “accepts” that the challenged portion of the stipulation was permissible evidence in aggravation within the meaning of R.C.M. 1001(b)(4). However, he contends, as he did at trial, that the military judge erred by failing to exclude the evidence on the grounds that such uncharged misconduct was inadmissible under Mil.R. Evid. 404(b).2 We disagree.

Rule for Courts-Martial 1001(b)(4) expressly allows evidence in aggravation “directly relating to or resulting from the offenses of which the accused has been found guilty.” See United States v. Sargent, 18 M.J. 331 (C.M.A.1984) (where death results from sale or transfer of a drug, occurrence of the death is an aggravating circumstance in a prosecution for the sale or transfer); R.C.M. 1001(b)(4) Discussion (evidence may include financial or medical impact or adverse impact on the mission, discipline, or efficiency of the command involved). Cf. United States v. Silva, 21 M.J. 336 (C.M.A.1986) (the accused’s contemporaneous statements were an integral part of his criminal course of conduct and served to explain how he attempted to carry out his scheme). There is no requirement that such aggravation evidence be evaluated for admissibility under Mil.R. Evid. 404(b).3 The sole test of admissibility [553]*553is (1) whether the evidence is relevant to sentencing as defined in R.C.M. 1001(b)(4) and, upon timely and specific objection, (2) whether its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice within the meaning of MiLR.Evid. 403. See United States v. Silva, 21 M.J. at 337 (Everett, C.J., concurring in the result); United States v. Martin, 20 M.J. 227 (C.M.A.1985); United States v. Arceneaux, 21 M.J. 571 (A.C.M.R.1985), petition denied, 22 M.J. 240 (C.M.A.1986); see generally United States v. Green, 21 M.J. 633 (A.C.M.R.1985) (the military judge may, but is not compelled, to apply the MiLR.Evid. 403 balancing test sua sponte in determining the admissibility in aggravation of uncharged misconduct), petition denied, 22 M.J. 349 (C.M.A.1986).

As a procedural matter, appellant questions the court’s guidance expressed in United States v. Taylor, 21 M.J. 1016, 1018 (A.C.M.R.1986), wherein trial judges were advised to refuse to hear any objections to the contents of stipulations of fact. Appellant believes he should not be denied the benefits of a pretrial agreement merely because he seeks an evidentiary ruling on the admissibility of the contents of a stipulation of fact. Appellant’s brief at 6 n. 2. We agree that an accused must be able to seek such evidentiary rulings from a military judge. After the judge has ruled on the objection or motion, the parties may agree or disagree to the admission of the stipulation (whether or not a portion is now deleted) and elect to remain bound by or withdraw from the terms of the pretrial agreement.

In Taylor,

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Bluebook (online)
24 M.J. 550, 1987 CMR LEXIS 183, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-glazier-usarmymilrev-1987.