United States v. Holley

17 M.J. 361, 1984 CMA LEXIS 21070
CourtUnited States Court of Military Appeals
DecidedApril 9, 1984
DocketNo. 44,504; NMCM 79 1066
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 17 M.J. 361 (United States v. Holley) 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. Holley, 17 M.J. 361, 1984 CMA LEXIS 21070 (cma 1984).

Opinions

Opinion of the Court

FLETCHER, Judge:

Appellant was tried by general court-martial composed of a military judge and officer members at Camp Pendleton, California. His trial was held at various times during 1978 and 1979. Contrary to his pleas, appellant was found guilty of two specifications of premeditated murder and four specifications of attempted premeditated murder, in violation of Articles 118 and 80, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 918 and 880, respectively. He was sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement at hard labor for life, total forfeitures, and reduction to pay grade E-l. The convening authority approved the findings and sentence, and the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review affirmed.

This Court granted review on the following two questions of law:

I
WHETHER THE MILITARY JUDGE ABUSED HIS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR WHEN HE DENIED THE DEFENSE MOTION FOR AN ADDITIONAL PEREMPTORY CHALLENGE UNDER THE COMPLEX CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS CASE.
II
WHETHER THE MILITARY JUDGE COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR BY THE ADMISSION OF TESTIMONY FROM THREE PROSECUTION EXPERT WITNESSES WHICH WAS HEARSAY AND VIOLATIVE OF ARTICLE 31(b), UCMJ, 18 U.S.C. § 4244 [363]*363AND THE FIFTH AND SIXTH AMENDMENTS, U.S. CONST. AND FURTHER ERRED BY FAILING TO INSTRUCT THE MEMBERS REGARDING THE LIMITED RELEVANCE OF SAID TESTIMONY.

We have considered the above issues and conclude they are without merit.

The record of trial reveals the following facts which are pertinent to our resolution of the first granted issue. On March 15, 1978, the Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California, convened a general court-martial with ten officer members to try appellant. On March 21, 1978, appellant was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him which had been referred to this court-martial. The military judge then granted a defense request for a continuance of the trial to April 17, 1978. On April 14 and again on April 17, 1978, the convening authority amended his original convening order resulting in the excusal of four members and the substitution of the same number of new members to replace them.

On April 17, 1978, the court-martial was again called to order and the amending orders were brought to the attention of the military judge. Appellant again pleaded not guilty to all the Charges and specifications. Trial counsel swore the ten members of this court-martial and the military judge announced that the court was assembled.

The members of this court-martial were then subjected to voir dire. At its conclusion, two members were challenged for cause by the defense. The military judge granted one challenge for cause and removed that member from the court. The second challenge for cause (against Colonel Blair, the president of the court) was denied. At that point, the prosecution and the defense each exercised a peremptory challenge, removing two other members from the court. The remaining seven detailed members of the court sat and heard opening arguments and testimony from six prosecution witnesses. Numerous prosecution exhibits were introduced at that time.

On April 19, 1978, defense counsel informed the military judge that, based on events occurring on the prior night and conversations with his client that morning, he believed that his client was mentally incapable of cooperating in his defense. After an extended hearing on this question including lay and expert testimony, the military judge found that a reasonable doubt existed as to whether appellant was then competent to stand trial. He asked both the Government and the defense to consider making a motion for a mistrial which they declined to make. The judge indicated that he would not direct a mistrial, and returned the record to the convening authority in accordance with paragraph 1225(8), Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, 1969 (Revised edition). On May 1, 1978, the trial judge reconvened the court, ordered the notes of the members sealed and instructed them concerning the continuance and their duties during it.

On May 16,1978, the convening authority suspended “further action in th[is] case . . . until such time as it ... [was] determined ... that the accused ha[d] the ... mental capacity” to stand trial. The convening authority ordered appellant confined at the United States Bureau of Prisons Facility at Springfield, Missouri, where he remained until November'2, 1978. On November 13, 1978, he returned the record of trial to the same court to determine the question of appellant’s mental capacity to stand trial “and if appropriate, to proceed with the trial.” On this same date, the convening authority replaced the original trial judge assigned to the court because the latter had retired since the last session of the court.

On November 17, 1978, the new trial judge held a hearing on the present competence of appellant to stand trial. Article 39(a), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 839(a). He ruled that appellant was competent to stand trial. Appellant again was advised of his rights, arraigned, and pleaded not guilty to the charged offenses. At that point, the trial judge afforded each counsel the opportunity to request a mistrial, an option both counsel again declined to exercise.

[364]*364On December 5,1978, the seven members of the previous court returned to the courtroom and were subjected to voir dire. At the conclusion of the voir dire, trial counsel announced that due to “wide scale pollution” of the members, he would not oppose a defense motion for mistrial. The defense again declined to make such a motion. Challenges for cause were granted against three members of this court, including Colonel Blair, who had earlier been unsuccessfully challenged for cause by the defense. The defense also provided some indication that it intended to challenge a fourth member of the court, Lieutenant Rubin, but failed to do so when presented the opportunity by the trial judge.

The trial judge at that point noted that only four members of the original court remained and that they did not constitute a quorum. See Article 16(1)(A), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 816(1)(A). He directed trial counsel to notify the convening authority of this fact and that additional members needed to be appointed to the court. Article 29(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 829(b). On December 6, 1978, the convening authority detailed five additional members to this court. Court was reconvened on this date and the new members were subjected to voir dire. The defense challenged one of the new members for cause and that member was removed from the court.

At this point in the proceedings, defense counsel asked the military judge whether he would be permitted an additional peremptory challenge.

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United States v. Holley
17 M.J. 361 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1984)
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Bluebook (online)
17 M.J. 361, 1984 CMA LEXIS 21070, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-holley-cma-1984.