United States v. Private E1 PIERRE C. T. SCOTT

CourtArmy Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedJune 13, 2017
DocketARMY 20150157
StatusUnpublished

This text of United States v. Private E1 PIERRE C. T. SCOTT (United States v. Private E1 PIERRE C. T. SCOTT) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Army 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. Private E1 PIERRE C. T. SCOTT, (acca 2017).

Opinion

UNITED STATES ARMY COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS Before MULLIGAN, FEBBO, and WOLFE Appellate Military Judges

UNITED STATES, Appellee v. Private E1 PIERRE C. T. SCOTT United States Army, Appellant

ARMY 20150157

Headquarters, Seventh Army Joint Multinational Training Command Christopher D. Carrier, Military Judge Lieutenant Colonel Sean T. McGarry, Staff Judge Advocate

For Appellant: Lieutenant Colonel Melissa R. Covolesky, JA; Captain Heather L. Tregle, JA; Captain Matthew D. Bernstein, JA (on brief); Captain Katherine L. DePaul, JA; Captain Matthew D. Bernstein, JA (on reply brief).

For Appellee: Colonel Mark H. Sydenham, JA; Lieutenant Colonel A.G. Courie III, JA; Major Melissa Dasgupta Smith, JA; Captain Christopher A. Clausen, JA (on brief).

13 June 2017 ---------------------------------- MEMORANDUM OPINION ----------------------------------

This opinion is issued as an unpublished opinion and, as such, does not serve as precedent.

FEBBO, Judge:

This case is before us for review pursuant to Article 66, UCMJ. Appellant raises one allegation of error 1 which merits discussion and relief. Appellant asks this court to provide appropriate relief to remedy the dilatory post-trial processing of his case. We considered the issues raised by appellant pursuant to United States v. Grostefon, 12 M.J. 431 (C.M.A. 1982). Appellant’s Grostefon issue concerning one

1 Appellant withdrew an assignment of error asserting he was denied effective assistance of counsel when his counsel allegedly failed to submit an offer to plead guilty to the convening authority (CA). After this court issued an order for appellant’s trial defense counsel to address the claim, the trial defense counsel submitted a copy of the offer to plead guilty that was submitted and disapproved by the CA. SCOTT—ARMY 20150157

of the witnesses providing a letter recanting his testimony merits discussion but no relief. The remaining errors alleged pursuant to Grostefon do not merit detailed discussion or relief. 2

A military judge sitting as a general court-martial convicted appellant, in accordance with his pleas, of one specification each of fraudulent enlistment, desertion, fleeing apprehension, and general disorder, in violation of Articles 83, 85, 95, 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 883, 885, 895, 934 (2012) [hereinafter UCMJ]. The military judge also convicted appellant, contrary to his pleas, of one specification of sexual assault in violation of Article 120, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 120 (2012). The judge sentenced appellant to a dishonorable discharge and confinement for nine years. The military judge credited appellant with 287 days of pretrial confinement and thirty days of Article 13, UCMJ credit against his sentence to confinement. The CA approved the sentence as adjudged and approved 317 days of confinement credit.

BACKGROUND

In 2013, appellant was assigned to an engineer unit in Germany. Private First Class (PFC) Stanford was in the same unit as appellant and they were friends. The victim—Specialist (SPC) AB—was also assigned to an engineer unit in Germany. Private Stanford began dating SPC AB in August 2013.

On 11 September 2013, SPC AB visited the barracks room of her boyfriend, PFC Stanford, and they argued. Specialist AB remained in PFC Stanford’s barracks

2 Appellant asserts in his Grostefon submission: (1) the sentence was unduly harsh; (2) appellant was already charged in state court for resisting apprehension and sentenced to time served; (3) appellant’s desertion was a result of his concerns about his family’s medical issues and need to find a stable home; and (4) the sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) testified Specialist (SPC) AB did not complain of injuries or pain the day after the assault. After considering the record, the charges of which appellant was found guilty, and appellant’s service record introduced during the government’s presentencing case (to include non-judicial punishment under Article 15, UCMJ), the military judge’s sentence is appropriate. Appellant received day-for- day credit for any pretrial confinement by civilian authorities. During the providence inquiry for appellant’s guilty plea to desertion, the military judge discussed in detail appellant’s family situation when he chose not return to his unit. Appellant disavowed any valid defense before he pleaded guilty to the desertion charge. The SANE testified SPC AB did not complain of injuries or pain the next day. This testimony was consistent with SPC AB’s testimony that she initially thought appellant was her boyfriend and he inserted his penis inside her only for short time before he stopped.

2 SCOTT—ARMY 20150157

room and PFC Stanford went to hang-out in another soldier’s barracks room with appellant. Appellant knew SPC AB was in the room sleeping and asked for PFC Stanford’s room key. Appellant used the key to enter PFC Stanford’s room. Specialist AB was asleep in the bed and appellant sexually assaulted her. Specialist AB left the room upset and crying.

Later that evening, SPC AB told PFC Stanford and another soldier that she was sexually assaulted by appellant. The next day, SPC AB made a restricted report of the sexual assault. See Dep’t of Defense Instr. (DODI) 6495.02, encl. 4, para. 1(b) (28 Mar. 2013). In October 2013, SPC AB unrestricted the report of the sexual assault. See DODI 6495.02, encl. 4, para. 1(a). The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) began an investigation. In December 2013, appellant deserted from his unit. In May 2014, after resisting apprehension, appellant was arrested in Alabama.

At his court-martial, appellant, SPC AB, PFC Stanford, and nine other witnesses testified on the merits. The contested issues included consent, lighting in the room at the time of the assault, and SPC AB’s motivation to fabricate the allegation of sexual assault.

Specialist AB testified she did not consent to have any sexual contact with appellant. According to SPC AB’s testimony, when PFC Stanford left the room and she went to sleep, a television was on, a candle was lit, and a closet light was on. When she awoke the candles were blown out and the lights were off. Specialist AB awoke to appellant touching her, pulling her shorts down, and inserting his penis in her vulva. At first, she thought it was her boyfriend, PFC Stanford. However, after the sexual acts “felt different” and appellant “smelled like cigarette smoke,” SPC AB turned around and saw appellant. Appellant continued and pushed her head away and finally stopped after SPC AB yelled at him when she again turned around to see it was not PFC Stanford she was having sex with. After the sexual assault, SPC AB was upset at both appellant and PFC Stanford. She suspected PFC Stanford and appellant had some type of agreement for appellant to pretend he was her boyfriend in order to have sex with her. Specialist AB denied having a motive to fabricate the allegations.

Appellant testified on the merits the sexual contact was consensual. According to his testimony, when he entered the room, there were candles lit and there was light inside the room from the window and common area. Specialist AB did not say anything but they made eye contact and started kissing. Appellant testified the sexual intercourse just happened from his “vibes.” Appellant asserted SPC AB fabricated the sexual assault allegations to avoid non-judicial punishment for a pending Article 15, UCMJ, and to receive orders to be re-assigned out of Germany. See DODI 6495.02, para. 4(o).

3 SCOTT—ARMY 20150157

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United States v. Private E1 PIERRE C. T. SCOTT, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-private-e1-pierre-c-t-scott-acca-2017.