United States v. Rachels

4 M.J. 697, 1977 CMR LEXIS 617
CourtU.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review
DecidedDecember 13, 1977
DocketNCM 77 0417
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 4 M.J. 697 (United States v. Rachels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Navy-Marine Corps 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. Rachels, 4 M.J. 697, 1977 CMR LEXIS 617 (usnmcmilrev 1977).

Opinion

ROOT, Judge:

At a general court-martial with members, the appellant pleaded guilty to, and was convicted of, 11 specifications of larceny and 11 specifications of forgery, in violation of Articles 121 and 123, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 921, 923. As the case reaches this Court, the sentence provides for a reduction to pay grade E-1 and a bad conduct discharge.

Appellant has assigned four errors for our consideration:

I. APPELLANT WAS DENIED A SPEEDY TRIAL.
II. THE ESTABLISHED ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE APPELLANT AND CAPTAIN OLSON WAS WRONGFULLY SEVERED WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF APPELLANT.
III. THE COURT-MARTIAL LACKED PERSONAL JURISDICTION OVER THE APPELLANT AS THE GOVERNMENT FAILED TO COMMENCE ACTION WITH A VIEW TO TRIAL PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF APPELLANT’S ENLISTMENT.
IV. THE STAFF JUDGE ADVOCATE’S REVIEW, TO APPELLANT’S SUBSTANTIAL PREJUDICE, WAS INADEQUATE ON THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED DURING THE SENTENCING STAGE OF TRIAL.

We conclude that the assignments of error lack merit, and affirm. In reaching this conclusion, however, brief comment on the assignments is appropriate.

I.

The theft and forgery of the checks involved in this case occurred during the period of March through August, 1974. The Naval Investigative Service began an investigation into this matter in July, 1974, and, in August, 1974, appellant became a suspect. He verbally confessed to stealing and forging the Government checks which are the basis of the charges in this case, on 22 September 1974. The enlistment of the appellant expired on 2 August 1975 and he was retained beyond that date pending disciplinary action. Sworn charges were not preferred against him until 2 September 1976, and an Article 32, Uniform Code of Military Justice, investigation was commenced on 16 September 1976. The report of that investigation, recommending trial by general court-martial, was made on 17 September 1976. A general court-martial commenced on 14 October 1976 and concluded on 15 October 1976.

We are gravely concerned with the exceptionally long delay in bringing charges against this appellant. The record clearly demonstrates that the Government was in possession of facts that, by the exercise of ordinary expedition, could have been developed into evidence to bring this appellant to trial on a majority of the charges and specifications of which he was ultimately convicted by his own pleas, no later than December, 1975. Failure to perfect the investigation to permit preferral of charges reflects most unfavorably on the Government.

Be that as it may, the appellant was never confined during this period of time, nor were charges ever preferred until 42 days before the trial commenced. Hence, the accused was not denied his right to a speedy trial. United States v. Burton, 21 U.S.C.M.A. 112, 44 C.M.R. 166 (1971) is dis-positive of this issue. It provides, in material part: “On a speedy trial issue, the Government’s accountability runs from the date the accused is restrained or from the date of the ‘formal presentment’ of charges, whichever is earlier.” See also United States v. Lovasco, 431 U.S. 783, 97 S.Ct. 2044, 52 L.Ed.2d 752 (1977); United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307, 92 S.Ct. 455, 30 L.Ed.2d 468 (1971), and United States v. Amundson, 23 U.S.C.M.A. 308, 49 C.M.R. 598 (1975). We are constrained to hold that this assignment is without merit.

II.

The appellant complains that an attorney-client relationship between himself [699]*699and Captain Olson was wrongfully severed without his consent. The record reveals that Captain Olson entered into an attorney-client relationship with appellant on 20 February 1975, rendering advice regarding the investigation into the charges here concerned. He had subsequent contacts and rendered further advice regarding the investigation. On 21 May 1976, Captain Olson was assigned as a judge to the Marine Corps Special Court-Martial Judiciary and, since that time, has performed judicial duties. At the time of his assignment to the trial bench, Captain Olson was negotiating on appellant’s behalf a settlement with the American Express Company, which had cashed the forged checks which are the subject of this court-martial. On 11 August 1976, Captain Olson appeared at office hours representing appellant in connection with the charges now before this Court. At that time, Captain Olson introduced appellant to Captain Cero, the Chief Defense Counsel for Marine Corps Development and Education Command, and indicated to appellant that he, Captain Olson, probably would not be available to act as his defense counsel in any court-martial which might be ordered. On 31 August 1976, appellant formally requested the assignment of Captain Olson as individual military counsel. This request went to Headquarters Marine Corps for resolution and, on 15 September 1976, the request was formally denied on the basis that it was “the policy of the CMDR, (sic) Marine Corps Special Court-Martial Judiciary and the Judge Advocate General of the Navy that full-time judges of the special court-martial judiciary, while serving in that capacity, will not be made available to perform duties as trial and defense counsel at either special or general courts-martial, as such duties would be inconsistent with the performance of their judicial duties as military judges.” (Appellate Exhibit I). At trial, appellant renewed his request and, after a hearing on the matter, the request was denied by the military judge for the same reason.

Article 38(b), Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 838(b), provides in part that the accused “has the right to be represented in his defense before a general or special court-martial ... by military counsel of his own selection if reasonably available . . . .” (Emphasis supplied). In construing this provision of the statute, the Court of Military Appeals has held:

It is thus apparent that the right to military counsel of an accused’s own selection is not an absolute right granted him, but is subject to the exigencies and practicalities of whatever situation may obtain at the time. Of course, the right to choose counsel in the first instance may not be insisted on in such a manner as to obstruct either other important operations of the service concerned or the orderly administration of military justice. It is also clear that both the Code and the Manual distinctly comprehend the possibility that—if the requested counsel is not reasonably available—the accused will be required to stand his trial represented by counsel appointed by the convening authority, although such counsel may not be the first preference of the accused.

United States v. Vanderpool, 4 U.S.C.M.A. 561, 565-566, 16 C.M.R. 135, 139-140 (1954). Accord United States v. Kilby, 3 M.J. 938 (N.C.M.R.1977).

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Related

United States v. Angel
28 M.J. 600 (U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review, 1989)
United States v. Roberts
14 M.J. 584 (U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review, 1982)
United States v. Rachels
6 M.J. 232 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1979)

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Bluebook (online)
4 M.J. 697, 1977 CMR LEXIS 617, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-rachels-usnmcmilrev-1977.