United States v. Jones

20 M.J. 853, 1985 CMR LEXIS 3421
U.S. Army Court of Military Review·Decided July 25, 1985·No. CM 446070·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

SUTER, Chief Judge.

On 19 June 1984, pursuant to his pleas, the appellant was convicted by a military judge sitting as a general court-martial of robbery, rape and kidnapping in violation of Articles 122, 120 and 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. §§ 922, 920 and 934 (1982). He was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, confinement at hard labor for 35 years and forfeiture of all pay and allowances. Pursuant to a pretrial agreement, the convening authority reduced the period of confinement to 8 years and approved the remainder of the adjudged sentence.

The appellant now contends that his pretrial agreement with the convening authority is void as contrary to public policy since under its terms the appellant waived certain motions which could have been litigated at trial. The clause of the pretrial agreement which gives rise to this contention provides “defense counsel will not make any motions contesting the legality of any search and seizure ..., or [any] motions challenging any legality of any out-of-court identifications.” We find the appellant’s contention has no merit and affirm.

During the inquiry into the providence of the appellant’s guilty pleas, the military judge explored the basis for the terms of the pretrial agreement. As the following excerpt from the record of trial reveals, the provision at issue originated with the appellant.

MJ: Now I note that in the paragraph marked number 2, that it’s agreed that [854]*854the . defense counsel will not make any motions contesting the legality of any search and seizure or any motions challenging any out-of-court identifications. With regard to that matter, for the record, did the defense perceive that there was an issue as to the legality of the search or seizure?
DC: Yes, Your Honor. There was an issue as to that.
MJ: Okay; and did you perceive that there was an issue as to the legality of the out-of-court identification?
DC: Yes, Your Honor.
MJ: Counsel can perhaps refresh my memory. What’s the latest position of the court with regard to requiring the waiver of motions as part of a pretrial agreement?
TC: Your Honor, the current position is that an accused cannot be required as a part of a pretrial agreement by the convening authority to waive the type motions that the accused in this case has waived. However, if the request initiates with the accused, if the accused states “in exchange for this I will not make any motions,” then that is appropriate. The accused can make that waiver of his own motion without being required to do that by the convening authority as a precondition to accepting a pretrial agreement.
MJ: Okay; and is that the defense’s understanding?
DC: Yes, Your Honor.
MJ: I believe that is correct. I can’t cite you the case that says that, but I believe that’s correct, so with that in mind, did this idea of waiving these motions originate with the defense?
DC: Yes, Your Honor; it did.
MJ: So you made this proposal then initially in order to induce the convening authority to accept the pretrial agreement?
DC: That is correct, Your Honor.
MJ: Now Private Jones, do you understand then that in your pretrial agreement you also agreed that your defense counsel would not make any motion in regard to a search and seizure? Do you understand that?
ACC: Yes, I do, sir.
MJ: And also that he would not make any motion with regard to the legality of any out-of-court identification of you. Do you understand that?
ACC: Yes, sir.
MJ: So are you agreed that your defense counsel should not make those motions? ACC: Yes, sir.
MJ: Has anyone tried to force you to enter into this pretrial agreement?
ACC: No, sir.
MJ: Are you pleading guilty only because you hope to receive a lighter sentence by virtue of the pretrial agreement, or are you pleading guilty because you are convinced that you are in fact guilty? ACC: I’m pleading guilty because I are [sic] in fact guilty.

The issue in this case is a simple one. Can an accused offer to a convening authority a pretrial agreement in which the accused promises not to raise motions concerning the legality of any search and seizure or any out-of-court identification? Appellant contends that United States v. Holland, 1 M.J. 58 (CMA 1975), controls the disposition of this issue. We disagree.

In Holland the Court of Military Appeals found that a pre-trial agreement was void because it required the entry of a guilty plea prior to the presentation of evidence on the merits or the presentation of motions concerning matters other than jurisdiction. The Court found this provision was contrary to the demands inherent in a fair trial. Unlike the case at bar, the terms of the pretrial agreement in Holland did not emanate from the accused but were contained in a government produced form. We find this difference sufficient to distinguish Holland from the case at issue.

At the time Holland was decided, the general rule was that “pretrial agreements should concern themselves only with bargaining on the charges and sentence.” [855]*855United. States v. Schmeltz, 1 M.J. 8, 11 (CMA 1975). Recent decisions by the Court of Military Appeals have not observed such a limitation upon the terms of pre-trial agreements. In United States v. Schaffer, 12 M.J. 425, 428 (CMA 1982), the Court expressly acknowledged a judicial willingness to accept more complex pretrial agreements, especially when that complexity is proposed by an accused and his counsel. Moreover, the Court has recognized that flexibility and imagination in the plea-bargaining process is allowed as long as the trial and appellate processes are not rendered ineffective and their integrity is maintained. United States v. Mitchell, 15 M.J. 238, 241 (CMA 1983) (Everett, C.J., concurring); see also United States v. Schaffer, 12 M.J. at 429-30; United States v. Mills, 12 M.J. 1, 5 (CMA 1981). While the decisions concerning pretrial agreements have not been models of clarity, we believe they evince a reluctance to engage in pro forma rejections of pretrial agreements and invite this court to examine the provisions of pretrial agreements in light of the greater flexibility accorded such agreements.

With these precepts in mind, we find the pretrial agreement in this case does not impermissibly impact upon the effectiveness or integrity of the trial or appellate process and, thus, is not contrary to public policy.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

United States v. Jones, 20 M.J. 853, 1985 CMR LEXIS 3421 (usarmymilrev 1985).

20 M.J. 853 (United States v. Jones) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

United States v. Conklan
41 M.J. 800 (Army Court of Criminal Appeals, 1995)
United States v. Cassity
36 M.J. 759 (U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review, 1992)
United States v. Jones
23 M.J. 305 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1987)
United States v. Jennings
22 M.J. 837 (U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review, 1986)
United States v. Callaway
21 M.J. 740 (U.S. Army Court of Military Review, 1986)
United States v. Corriere
20 M.J. 905 (U.S. Army Court of Military Review, 1985)