United States v. Proctor

58 M.J. 792, 2003 CCA LEXIS 18, 2003 WL 21401238
CourtUnited States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedJanuary 27, 2003
DocketACM 34532
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 58 M.J. 792 (United States v. Proctor) 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. Proctor, 58 M.J. 792, 2003 CCA LEXIS 18, 2003 WL 21401238 (afcca 2003).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

BRESLIN, Senior Judge:

The appellant was convicted, in accordance with his conditional pleas, of one specification of attempt to unlawfully enter the dormitory room of a female airman, one specification of wrongful use of marijuana on divers occasions, three specifications of battery (offensive touching) of female airmen, two specifications of unlawful entry into dormitory rooms of female airmen, and one specification of indecent acts with a female airman, in violation of Articles 80, 112a, 128, and 184, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 880, 912a, 928, 934. The sentence adjudged and approved was a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for 11 months, and reduction to E-l.

The appellant argues that he was denied his right to a speedy trial guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment, Article 10, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 810, and Rule for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 707. The appellant also argues that his plea to indecent acts cannot stand, because his conduct only constitutes indecent exposure. We find error, and set aside the findings and sentence.

Speedy Trial

In August 2000, law enforcement agencies at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB) investigated the appellant for the wrongful use of marijuana and drunken driving. On 15 September 2000, while action on those reports was pending, Senior Airman (SrA) JM reported to security forces that the appellant had entered her dormitory room early that morning without permission, and had assaulted her while she was in bed by grabbing her thigh. On 18 September 2000, SrA TW advised security forces investigators that the appellant unlawftilly entered her dormitory room at 0530 while she was sleeping, sat on her bed, and grabbed her shoulder.

On 19 September 2000, the appellant’s commander ordered him into pretrial confinement, based upon his repeated use of marijuana and the unlawful entries and assaults reported by SrA JM and SrA TW. The pretrial confinement hearing was scheduled for the next day, but was delayed by the pretrial confinement review officer (PCRO) at defense request until 27 September 2000. In his 28 September 2000 report, the PCRO concluded there was probable cause to believe the appellant committed the offenses, and that continued pretrial confinement was required under the circumstances.

The security forces investigators continued the investigation, and discovered several other female airmen who variously alleged attempted unlawful entry, assault, and indecent acts by the appellant. The investigators finished their report on 12 October 2000. Their clerk provided a copy to the appellant’s com[794]*794mander, but failed to send a copy to the base legal office. Notwithstanding the almost daily contact between the base legal office and the security forces investigators, the report’s absence was not discovered until late November 2000. The legal office received a copy of the report on 21 November 2000.

Thereafter, the acting chief of military justice at the legal office interviewed witnesses and attempted, unsuccessfully, to negotiate a date with the defense counsel for the formal pretrial investigation under Article 32, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 832. On 15 December 2000 an unrelated case dropped off the docket and the defense counsel offered to hold the appellant’s investigation that day. The prosecutor declined, however, saying he could not assemble the necessary witnesses on such short notice. On 17 December 2000, after 89 days of pretrial confinement, the appellant submitted a written demand for speedy trial.

The parties eventually agreed upon 12 January 2001 as a suitable date for the Article 32 investigation. With the date set, the government preferred charges against the appellant on 4 January 2001. By that time, the appellant had been in pretrial confinement 107 days.

On 8 January 2001, the staff judge advocate (SJA) asked the special court-martial convening authority to exclude all the time from the date of approval until 1 March 2001 for speedy trial accountability purposes. The request noted that the government had 120 days from the date of pretrial confinement to bring the appellant to trial, and that “the 120-day point is 17 January 2001.” The SJA discussed the difficulties associated with the processing of the case, and the unusually heavy court-martial workload facing the legal office at that time. He asked that the convening authority exclude all the time until 1 March 2001, so that the government could “process Airman Proctor’s case to trial.”

A copy of the request was served upon the defense counsel; nonetheless the convening authority approved the request the same day. On 12 January 2001, the defense counsel submitted his written objections to the grant of delay, noting the appellant’s demand for a speedy trial. On that same day, the appellant waived his right to an investigation under Article 32, UCMJ. The convening authority later considered the defense counsel’s objection but stood by his earlier decision to exclude the time for speedy trial purposes.

On 17 January 2001, the commander forwarded the charges to the general court-martial convening authority. The charges were referred to trial by general court-martial on 26 January 2001, and served upon the accused on 29 January 2001. On the following day, the parties agreed to a 27 February 2001 trial date. On 2 February 2001, the chief circuit military judge approved the agreed-upon trial date.

The appellant was arraigned on 27 February 2001, after 161 days of pretrial confinement. At trial, the appellant moved to dismiss all charges for violation of his right to a speedy trial. The military judge took evidence on the matter, and ultimately denied the motion. Thereafter, the appellant entered a conditional plea of guilty to all the offenses, preserving the speedy trial issue for appeal. The appellant now urges this Court to find that the military judge erred in denying the motion to dismiss for a violation of his right to a speedy trial.

A military member’s right to a speedy trial arises from several sources. United States v. Becker, 53 M.J. 229, 231 (2000); United States v. Kossman, 38 M.J. 258 (C.M.A.1993); United States v. Vogan, 35 M.J. 32, 33 (C.M.A.1992). Rule for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 707, promulgated by the President, requires that a person must be brought to trial within 120 days of preferral of charges, imposition of pretrial restraint, or activation of a reservist for court-martial purposes. United States v. Birge, 52 M.J. 209, 210 (1999). Article 10, UCMJ, requires that, if a person is placed in arrest or confinement, “immediate steps shall be taken ... to try him or to dismiss the charges.” Additionally, our superior court holds that the Sixth Amendment applies to courts-martial, and guarantees “the right to a speedy and public trial.” Id. at 211.

Whether an appellant received a speedy trial is an issue of law, which we review de novo. United States v. Doty, 51 [795]*795M.J. 464, 465 (1999). However, we give substantial deference to the military judge’s findings of fact, and will reverse them only for clear error. United States v. Taylor, 487 U.S. 326, 337, 108 S.Ct. 2413, 101 L.Ed.2d 297 (1988);

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Bluebook (online)
58 M.J. 792, 2003 CCA LEXIS 18, 2003 WL 21401238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-proctor-afcca-2003.