United States v. Johnson

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedJune 24, 2025
Docket24-0004/SF
StatusPublished

This text of United States v. Johnson (United States v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Johnson, (Ark. 2025).

Opinion

This opinion is subject to revision before publication.

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ARMED FORCES _______________

UNITED STATES Appellee

v.

Devin W. JOHNSON, Specialist 3 United States Space Force, Appellant

No. 24-0004 Crim. App. No. 40257

Argued January 29, 2025—Decided June 24, 2025

Military Judge: Charles G. Warren

For Appellant: Captain Samantha M. Castanien, USAF (argued); Lieutenant Colonel Allen S. Abrams, USAF, and Major Spencer R. Nelson, USAF.

For Appellee: Captain Tyler L. Washburn, USAF (ar- gued); Colonel Matthew D. Talcott, USAF, Lieuten- ant Colonel Jenny A. Liabenow, USAF, and Mary El- len Payne, Esq. (on brief); Colonel Steven R. Kaufman, USAF, Lieutenant Colonel James P. Fer- rell, USAF, and Captain Kate E. Lee, USAF.

Judge HARDY delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Chief Judge OHLSON, Judge SPARKS, and Judge MAGGS joined. Judge JOHNSON filed a separate opinion concurring in part and in the judgment. _______________ United States v. Johnson, No. 24-0004/SF Opinion of the Court

Judge HARDY delivered the opinion of the Court. A general court-martial convicted Appellant of one spec- ification of abusive sexual contact in violation of Arti- cle 120, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. § 920 (2018). On the indorsement of this case’s entry of judgment, the staff judge advocate (SJA) indicated “Fire- arm Prohibition Triggered Under 18 U.S.C. § 922: Yes” [hereinafter the “§ 922 indication”]. Appellant petitioned for this Court to review whether this indication should be modified on constitutional grounds, though he now argues that this Court should remand the case to the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals (AFCCA) for that tribunal to act upon the § 922 indication first. For the reasons set forth below, we hold that this Court lacks authority to act upon a § 922 indication because no Court of Criminal Appeals has the authority to act upon that indication in the first instance. We also hold that re- manding for the AFCCA to address the indication would be futile in this or any other case, because the very reason that this Court lacks authority to act upon the indication is that the AFCCA itself also lacks authority to act upon it. I. Background The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits specific catego- ries of people, such as felons and fugitives from justice, from receiving or possessing firearms. Pub. L. No. 90-618, 82 Stat. 1213 (relevant subsections codified as amended at 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)-(g) (2018 & Supp. IV 2019-2023). In 1996, Congress amended the Act to impose the same re- strictions on any person “who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.” See id. at § 922(g)(9) (commonly known as the Lautenberg Amend- ment). Because the federal government maintains a data- base of people whose Second Amendment rights have been restricted under the Gun Control Act, the military reports the names of servicemembers who are convicted by a court- martial (of crimes that would subject them to 18 U.S.C. § 922) to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The military identifies and tracks these

2 United States v. Johnson, No. 24-0004/SF Opinion of the Court

servicemembers through two documents: the Statement of Trial Results (STR) and the Entry of Judgment (EOJ). A. Statement of Trial Results and Entry of Judgment At the conclusion of a general or special court-martial, Congress has mandated that military judges “enter into the record of trial a document entitled ‘Statement of Trial Results.’ ” Article 60(a)(1), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 860(a)(1) (2018). The STR must record three categories of infor- mation: (1) “each plea and finding;” (2) “the sentence, if any;” and (3) “such other information as the President may prescribe by regulation.” Article 60(a)(1)(A)-(C), UCMJ. The President, in turn, has directed that the STR shall include various information including “[a]ny additional in- formation directed by the military judge or required under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned.” Rule for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 1101(a)(6) (2019 ed.). In the Department of the Air Force, the Secretary has directed that the STR include an “indorsement” in which the SJA lays out what criminal indexing will be required in accord- ance with various statutory and regulatory authorities. Dep’t of the Air Force, Instr. 51-201, Administration of Mil- itary Justice para. 13.3.3 (Jan. 18, 2019) [hereinafter AFI 51-201 (2019)]. 1 The STR in this case included the follow- ing two indications: (1) “Firearm Prohibition Triggered Un- der 18 U.S.C. § 922: Yes”; and (2) “Domestic Violence Con- viction Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9): No.” In United States v. Williams, 85 M.J. 121, 126 (C.A.A.F. 2024), this Court held that these indications are not part of the findings or sentence upon which the service courts have authority to act under Article 66(d)(1)(A), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 866(d)(1)(A).

1 The 2019 Department of the Air Force Instruction (AFI) applies to this case. The Air Force revised the AFI in 2024, but the current version contains language to the same effect. See Dep’t of the Air Force, Instr. 51-201, Administration of Military Justice para. 20.6 (Jan. 24, 2024) [hereinafter AFI 51-201 (2024)].

3 United States v. Johnson, No. 24-0004/SF Opinion of the Court

After a court-martial, the UCMJ authorizes a series of actions—including post-trial motions from the parties and convening authority review—that might alter the findings, sentence, and other information reported in the STR. Arti- cles 60(b), 60a, 60b, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 860(b), 860a, 860b. After these actions have concluded, Congress has fur- ther mandated that “[i]n accordance with rules prescribed by the President, in a general or special court-martial, the military judge shall enter into the record of trial the judg- ment of the court.” Article 60c(a)(1), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 860c(a)(1) (2018). The EOJ must include the original STR and “[a]ny modifications of, or supplements to, the State- ment of Trial Results by reason of—(i) any post-trial action by the convening authority; or (ii) any ruling, order, or other determination of the military judge that affects a plea, a finding, or the sentence.” Article 60c(a)(1)(B), UCMJ. Exercising his authority under Article 60c(a)(1), UCMJ, the President has directed that the EOJ must also include “[a]ny additional information that the Secretary concerned may require by regulation.” R.C.M. 1111(b)(3)(F). Pursu- ant to this direction from the President, the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) promulgated regulations governing the preparation and distribution of the EOJ in the Depart- ment of the Air Force. See AFI 51-201, para. 13.3.3, § 13H (2019) (citing R.C.M. 1111 and Article 60c, UCMJ).

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