United States v. King

24 M.J. 774, 1987 CMR LEXIS 433
CourtU.S. Army Court of Military Review
DecidedJune 12, 1987
DocketCM 442194
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 24 M.J. 774 (United States v. King) 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. King, 24 M.J. 774, 1987 CMR LEXIS 433 (usarmymilrev 1987).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT ON REMAND

DeFORD, Senior Judge:

The appellant was convicted contrary to his pleas by a general court-martial convened at Fort Ord, California, during the months of September through November of 1981 of carnal knowledge, sodomy (two specifications), conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman (seven specifications), and obstruction of justice in violation of Articles 120, 125, 133 and 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 920, 925, 933 and 934 [hereinafter UCMJ], respectively.

His approved sentence included dismissal from the service, confinement for fourteen years, and forfeiture of all pay and allowances. The convening authority approved the sentence as adjudged.

Pursuant to Article 66, U.C.M.J., 10 U.S.C. § 866, this court, on 31 August 1983, set aside the findings of guilty and dismissed one sodomy specification and three of the specifications of conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman, reduced the confinement to ten years and otherwise affirmed the findings and sentence. United States v. King, 16 M.J. 990 (A.C.M.R.1983).

Subsequently, the appellant petitioned the United States Court of Military Appeals for a grant of review alleging for the first time he was insane at the time of the commission of the offenses for which he was convicted. Appellant further moved that his case be remanded to this court for consideration of that issue. Government appellate counsel did not oppose the motion; and, on 5 March 1984, the United States Court of Military Appeals granted the motion. United States v. King, 17 M.J. 403 (C.M.A.1984) (summary disposition).

Thereafter, appellate defense counsel filed a motion requesting that this court order a formal sanity board, which the court did order on 13 April 1984.1 The Sanity Board2 was convened at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on 29 May 1984 and unanimously found that: (a) at the time of the alleged offenses, as a result of mental disease or defect, the appellant did lack substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct and to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law; (b) at the time of trial, the appellant did possess sufficient mental capacity to understand the nature of the proceedings against him, but did not possess sufficient mental capacity to conduct or cooperate intelligently in his defense; and, (c) at the present time, the appellant does possess sufficient mental capacity to understand the nature of the proceedings and to intelligently conduct or cooperate in his appeal. The board provided no reasons for their opinion. The Sanity Board’s opinion was reviewed by a Colonel Shaw, MC, Psychiatry and Neurology Consultant, Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army.3 In addition, Colonel Shaw reviewed a letter dated 11 January 1984 by LTC M.E. Levine, M.D. (a member of the Sanity Board), which stated the appellant suffered from “Atypical Bipo[776]*776lor Disorder” and a “Mixed Personality Disorder.” Colonel Shaw’s endorsement of the sanity board’s report stated, inter alia:

4. A review of the record of trial fails to indicate any evidence that would suggest that subject suffered from a psychiatric condition at the time of the alleged offense of such severity or to suggest a substantial impairment in his capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or in his capacity to conform his conduct to the requirement of the law. Nor is there any indication that subject “did not possess sufficient mental capacity to conduct or cooperate intelligently in his defense.”
5. The Sanity Board fails to establish the evidence upon which they have arrived at their current findings. They fail to establish a connection between subjects [sic] current psychiatric condition and his mental state at the time of the alleged offenses. The existance [sic] of a diagnosis of “Atypical Bipolar Disorder” does not preclude mental responsibility nor does its existance [sic] now warrent [sic] an assumption that subject was so psychotic at the time of the alleged offense as to suggest substantially impaired mental responsibility.

Government appellate counsel then filed a Motion for a Limited Hearing to determine facts relevant to the appellant’s sanity under the authority of United States v. DuBay, 37 C.M.R. 411 (C.M.A.1968) [hereinafter referred to as a DuBay hearing]. Defense appellate counsel opposed the motion. Following oral argument, this court, on 29 November 1984, directed such a hearing be held.

The DuBay hearing was convened at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on 24 January 1985 and continued thereafter for nine days in the months of March, April, and June 1985. The order4 of this court directed, in addition to specific questions to listed witnesses, that three basic questions be answered:

a. Whether sufficient post-trial evidence on the matter of appellant’s mental responsibility exists to warrant an order to rehear the issue de novo or other appropriate action. United States v. Roberts, 18 M.J. 192 (CMA 1984); United States v. Triplett, 21 U.S.C.M.A. 495, 45 C.M.R. 271 (1972); United States v. Wimberly, 16 U.S.C.M.A. 3, 36 C.M.R. 159 (1966).
b. Whether, considering all the matters on the issue of appellant’s mental responsibility, a different verdict might reasonably result if the issue was again presented to a court-martial. United States v. Triplett, supra.
c. Whether appellant lacked the mental capacity to defend himself at trial. United States v. Roberts, 18 M.J. at 195 (Everett, C.J., concurring in the result).

Eleven witnesses were called by the defense and seven were called by the prosecution. After hearing the eighteen witnesses produced in an adversarial setting during the DuBay hearing, the military judge entered findings of fact and conclusions of law as required by this court’s order. His conclusions of law were:

a. [T]here has been insufficient post-trial evidence concerning the accused’s mental responsibility to warrant the trial of the issue de novo. United States v. Martin, 19 M.J. 621 (A.C.M.R.1984).
b. Considering all the evidence on the matter, a different verdict would not reasonably result if the issue were presented to a new court-martial.
c. At his original trial and throughout the DuBay hearing, CPT Kind [sic] did not lack mental capacity to understand the nature of the proceedings against him nor to conduct or cooperate intelligently in his defense or presentation of his case.

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Related

United States v. King
32 M.J. 558 (U.S. Army Court of Military Review, 1991)
United States v. Lilly
25 M.J. 403 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1988)
United States v. Walker
25 M.J. 713 (U.S. Army Court of Military Review, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
24 M.J. 774, 1987 CMR LEXIS 433, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-king-usarmymilrev-1987.