United States v. Middleton

12 C.M.A. 54, 12 USCMA 54, 30 C.M.R. 54, 1960 CMA LEXIS 189, 1960 WL 4635
CourtUnited States Court of Military Appeals
DecidedDecember 9, 1960
DocketNo. 13,995
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 12 C.M.A. 54 (United States v. Middleton) 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. Middleton, 12 C.M.A. 54, 12 USCMA 54, 30 C.M.R. 54, 1960 CMA LEXIS 189, 1960 WL 4635 (cma 1960).

Opinions

Opinion of the Court

ROBERT E. Quinn, Chief Judge:

A general court-martial convicted the accused and sentenced him to dismissal and forfeiture of all pay and allowances. The conviction was affirmed by a board of review, and the accused appealed to this Court for a further review.

The background facts may be briefly summarized. In August 1957, Major Robert H. Phillips was assigned as S-3 of the First Airborne Battle Group, 501st Infantry. The accused was the Assistant S-3. Substantial differences arose between them. The Group Executive Officer attributed these, in part, to the accused’s “personality complex” and “lack of loyalty” to Major Phillips. According to the accused, however, the differences arose from the Major’s own personal problems; the accused’s refusal to co-sign a note for him; and a “run in” between Mrs. Middleton and the Major’s wife, in which the latter represented that she would see to it the accused received a low efficiency rating from the Major. Whatever the reasons, the differences were reflected in an efficiency report prepared by Major Phillips for the period from August 1, 1957, to January 21, 1958. The report was submitted prior to Major Phillips’ departure to an overseas station. Among other things, Major Phillips said the accused had undesirable qualities, including the habit of “passing on gossip,” and “making mis-statements to attempt to gain advantages to himself or to put others in a bad light.” He rated the accused’s overall value to the service as merely satisfactory, but he noted that if the accused could correct his undesirable habits he “would be an excellent officer.”

Major Phillips signed the efficiency report on January 21, 1958. It was signed by Lieutenant Colonel R. P. Zeigler, Group Executive Officer, as indorsing officer, and reviewed by the Group Commander on February 4. On the same day the report was sent to the accused for comment or “reclama,” before its submission to the Division Adjutant General. On February 8, by first indorsement to the forwarding letter, the accused took issue with many parts of Major Phillips’ rating, and he submitted statements from senior company commanders and others to support his position.

Besides his official reply, the accused took other action. He prepared a false efficiency report for the period of August 1, 1957, to December 21, [57]*571957. In it, he rated himself a “superior officer of great value to the service.” He traced Major Phillips’ name on it, as the rating officer, and the name of the former Deputy Commander, as indorsing officer. He forwarded the false report to the Department of the Army. According to the accused’s testimony at the trial, he sent the report about ten days after his reclama, “knowing . . . that when the two reports” were received by the Department “an investigation would start,” and Major Phillips would be required to “justify his remarks” on the efficiency report, before his departure overseas. However, from a pretrial statement admitted into evidence for the prosecution, it would appear that the accused typed the report on a machine in a different section and that he sent in the false report before he knew of the rating by Major Phillips. Thus, he said,

“After hearing rumors that I was going to get a low efficiency report, verifying some of the things I had heard about Major Phillips through working with him, I felt trapped by circumstances that had nothing to do with my job or efficiency. I attempted to counter the low one by rendering one myself. I procured a form from Unit Personnel Office and went to Post Training Aids Section and asked Mr. Bibbs to use his typewriter. I also asked him to get a lamp and glass so I could trace the signatures from some papers I had. After I finished it, I mailed it to Washington, D. C.
“Being a deeply religious man, and the son of an ordained minister, I have suffered untold agony for this unwise act. I am glad to get this out in the open. At that time, I was unaware of the steps necessary to combat a threat to my efficiency by a wife who completely dominated her husband.”

The Adjutant General’s Office of the Department of the Army received the false report on February 21, 1958. It was accepted, and filed, as the official efficiency report. On March 13, 1958, the true report was received. Eventually, an investigation was started and charges were filed against the accused. Charge I alleged that, with the intent to deceive, the accused submitted a false official report in violation of Article 107, Uniform Code of Military Justice. Charge II alleged a violation of Article 134 of the Uniform Code, in that he violated Section 1001, Title 18, United States Code, by knowingly submitting the false efficiency report in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army. Two specifications were set out under Charge III as conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman, in violation of Article 133 of the Uniform Code. The first specification alleged the accused “dishonorably and with the intent to deceive” made and submitted the false official report; the second charged that he wrongfully and dishonorably violated Section 1001, Title 18, United States Code, by making and submitting the false report in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army.

At trial, defense counsel moved to dismiss all charges. Although the argument was principally directed against purported deficiencies in the Article 32 investigation, it included a claim that there was a “deliberate, unreasonable and calculated multiplicity of charges and specifications” which misled the convening authority as to the seriousness of the accused’s conduct, and influenced him in his decision to refer the matter to a general court-martial for trial. Trial counsel maintained that each specification alleged a different “ultimate crime,” and, at least for the purpose of “standing trial,” the proof of each was separate. He further argued that at that stage of the proceedings, “potential multiplicity as to sentence” was immaterial. The motion was denied.

For his initial assignment of error, the accused reasserts the “calculated multiplicity” contention made at the trial level. Although not specifically articulated, the contention has a double aspect. First, it raises a ques-. tion of the reason for drafting the specifications in the number and form [58]*58in which they appear. If the specifications were alleged for the purpose of deliberately exaggerating the accused’s wrong so as to mislead the convening authority as to its seriousness, there might be a grave question of perversion of the court-martial processes. Cf. United States v Wille, 9 USCMA 623, 625-627, 26 CMR 403. No evidence of deliberate deceit, other than the charge sheet, was offered at the trial. While the number of charges might provide the basis for an inference of deliberate multiplication, those in this case are not so numerous and so patently duplicative as to establish the allegation. Since there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of calculated exaggeration, and since trial counsel’s representations to the law officer indicate an honest and legitimate purpose for setting out the specifications separately in the form in which they appear in the charge sheet, this aspect of the claim of error must be resolved against the accused.

The second aspect of the attack on the number and relationship of the specifications is that the rule against unreasonable multiplication was violated. Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, 1951, paragraph 26&.

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Bluebook (online)
12 C.M.A. 54, 12 USCMA 54, 30 C.M.R. 54, 1960 CMA LEXIS 189, 1960 WL 4635, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-middleton-cma-1960.