United States v. Laster

42 M.J. 538, 1995 CCA LEXIS 115, 1995 WL 229092
CourtUnited States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedApril 6, 1995
DocketACM 30549 (Recon)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 42 M.J. 538 (United States v. Laster) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Air Force Court of Criminal 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. Laster, 42 M.J. 538, 1995 CCA LEXIS 115, 1995 WL 229092 (afcca 1995).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT UPON RECONSIDERATION

SNYDER, Senior Judge:

In our original opinion, we modified the findings and affirmed the sentence (ACM 30549, 30 March 1995). Pursuant to Rule 7.1 of our Internal Rules, and upon the Court’s own motion, that decision has been reconsidered. Accordingly, our earlier, unpublished opinion is hereby withdrawn.

[540]*540Tried by general court-martial with members, Airman Laster (appellant) stands convicted, contrary to his pleas, of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery. Articles 81 and 122, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 881 and 922. He was sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for 6 months, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and reduction to E-l. The convening authority approved the sentence as adjudged. Appellant has submitted four assignments of error. We modify the findings but otherwise affirm.

I. FACTUAL SUFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE

A. Conspiracy

We first consider appellant’s assertion that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction of conspiracy. We disagree.

Appellant does not specify whether he is attacking legal or factual sufficiency, or both, but the gist of his brief on this issue appears to address only factual sufficiency of the evidence. To find a conviction factually sufficient, we must determine that, after weighing the evidence in the record of trial and making allowances for not having personally observed the witnesses, we personally are convinced of the accused’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Turner, 25 M.J. 324 (C.M.A.1987).

At trial, the prosecution proved the conspiracy and robbery through the testimony of appellant’s civilian co-conspirator, Jay Mas-sett. Appellant now argues that Massett’s testimony does not establish that he agreed or assented to commit robbery.

Massett testified he and appellant had spent the afternoon of 24 August 1992, together at a local river, drinking malt liquor, and they agreed to go to a club that evening. Their means of transportation was appellant’s car, a white Chevrolet. Massett stated he talked about the robbery off and on with appellant, but not in detail and appellant made no comments. It is this part of the testimony which appellant focuses on to argue factual insufficiency. However, that was not the sum total of Massett’s testimony.

In addition to testifying that he discussed the robbery with appellant, Massett stated that, prior to the robbery, he and appellant met a friend of Massett’s from whom Massett obtained a 12-gauge shotgun and placed it in the back seat of appellant’s car. He also had a pellet pistol replica of a .357 magnum caliber pistol in the waistband of his pants, of which appellant was fully aware. Neither he nor appellant had any money when they went to the convenience store, and appellant knew that he, Massett, did not have any money. Massett stated he told appellant he was going in the store to get some money, and appellant was to gas up and be ready to go when he returned. He left the shotgun in the car, but had the pellet pistol when he entered the store.

During his own testimony, appellant denied knowing anything about what Massett did while in the store, and that Massett only said he would pay for the gas. However, he admitted bypassing an available gas island for the pump he actually used. He also admitted that, at the pump island he passed up, there was another vehicle which would have been in front of him had he used it. Instead, appellant used a pump island which was empty and closest to the exit he eventually took. The store clerk, Mr. Gray, testified that after Massett fled the store, placed beer in the trunk of a white Chevrolet and got in, the driver of the car sped off squealing his tires, and drove against traffic in an oncoming lane in order to get around a concrete lane barrier and onto the proper lanes for the opposite direction.

To constitute a conspiracy, it is sufficient if:

[T]he minds of the parties arrive at a common understanding to accomplish the object of the conspiracy, and this may be shown by the conduct of the parties.

Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (MCM), Part IV, I5c(2) (1984) (emphasis added). All of the evidence leaves us convinced, beyond reasonable doubt, that appellant conspired with Massett to commit the offense of robbery. Article 66(c), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 866(c). We now turn to the assertion that the evidence is insufficient to prove robbery, an assertion with which we agree.

[541]*541B. Robbery

The government charged appellant with robbery by means of force with a firearm. In view of appellant’s culpability, if any, being premised on his status as a co-conspirator, we must look to Massett’s actions to determine appellant’s guilt. As mentioned above, Massett entered the store with the pellet pistol in his waistband. After obtaining three 12-packs of beer, he went to the counter. Mr. Gray’s testimony describes the events from there.

Well, [Massett] said that, “you don’t know it, but you are being robbed” and I told him, “you’re not going to rob me with a pellet gun” and he said, “you know I have a gauge [shotgun]” and I told him, “I don’t see a gauge” and he says, “well, my friend in the car has it” ... I told him I wasn’t going to give him the money and he said, “well, I’m taking the beer and the gas and you are going to wait ten minutes to call the police and we’re in a red célica and you’re going to miss a few numbers on the license.”

Mr. Gray then dialed 911, placed the phone on the counter and followed Massett out of the store where he watched him hurriedly put some of the beer in the trunk of appellant’s car and drop some on the ground. He wrote down appellant’s license plate number and returned to the phone and provided it to police. Appellant and Massett were stopped and arrested a few minutes later near Mather Air Force Base, California.

Appellant argues that the evidence clearly shows that Massett did not actually use force in his actions, and appellate government counsel concede factual insufficiency. We believe the concession is appropriate.

To prove robbery by force, the MCM requires that there be actual force or violence to the person, and the force or violence must overcome the resistance of the person robbed, or put the person in a position that no resistance is made. Fear on the part of the victim is immaterial. MCM, Part IV, ¶ 47c(2). One rule of thumb is that the “force and violence” connected with robbery means at least an assault and battery. United States v. Chambers, 12 M.J. 443 (C.M.A.1982); United States v. Calhoun, 5 U.S.C.M.A. 428,18 C.M.R. 52, 1955 WL 3281 (1955); see United States v. Ramalho, 3 C.M.R. 618, 621, 1952 WL 1999 (A.F.B.R.1952).

Although the pellet pistol was plainly visible, as he intended it to be, Massett never drew or brandished it. This falls short of an actual application of force or violence to the person. Further, the “force” Massett used did not overcome Mr. Gray’s resistance. Therefore, if Massett committed robbery, it must have been by placing Mr. Gray in fear.

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Bluebook (online)
42 M.J. 538, 1995 CCA LEXIS 115, 1995 WL 229092, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-laster-afcca-1995.