United States v. Riley

55 M.J. 185, 2001 CAAF LEXIS 764
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedJune 29, 2001
Docket00-5003/AF & 98-0146/AF
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 55 M.J. 185 (United States v. Riley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Riley, 55 M.J. 185, 2001 CAAF LEXIS 764 (Ark. 2001).

Opinions

Judge GIERKE

delivered the opinion of the Court.

A general court-martial composed of officer and enlisted members convicted Airman Riley (appellee) of unpremeditated murder of her newborn baby, in violation of Article 118, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 USC § 918. The adjudged and approved sentence imposed a dishonorable discharge, confinement for 25 years, total forfeitures, and reduction to the lowest enlisted grade. The evidence on which the conviction was based is set out in our previous opinion. 50 MJ 410, 411-13 (1999).

The Court of Criminal Appeals set aside appellee’s conviction of unpremeditated murder on the ground that the evidence was factually insufficient. It affirmed a lesser-included offense of involuntary manslaughter by “refusing and impeding assistance in the delivery and care of her child,” in violation of Article 119, UCMJ, 10 USC § 919. The court reassessed the sentence and affirmed the maximum imposable sentence for involuntary manslaughter: dishonorable discharge, confinement for 10 years, total forfeitures, and reduction to the lowest enlisted grade. 47 MJ 603, 608, 610 (1997).

This Court reversed the decision below, holding that the Court of Criminal Appeals erred by affirming a lesser-included offense on a theory not presented to the trier of fact. However, because it was not clear “whether that court also found the evidence factually insufficient to support a conviction of a lesser-included offense premised on negligent infliction of the fatal injuries on the baby,” the case was remanded to the court below “for clarification of its decision and reconsideration under correct legal principles.” 50 MJ at 416.

The case was remanded to the same panel that decided the ease on initial review, but only one of. the three appellate military judges who participated in the original decision remained on the panel. Upon further review after the remand, the court below rejected an argument by the Government that it was free to reinstate the conviction of unpremeditated murder. The court stated that it “would welcome an opportunity to revisit this Court’s previous conclusion that the appellant’s conviction for unpremeditated murder was factually insufficient,” but it concluded that it was precluded from doing so by the terms of the remand. 52 MJ 825, 827 (2000).

However, the court below felt free to reconsider its findings of fact pertaining to involuntary manslaughter. It held that its earlier conclusion that “the evidence was insufficient to establish the manner of death” was “clearly erroneous.” Id. at 828. It found beyond a reasonable doubt that appel-lee stuffed a paper towel into her baby’s mouth and applied force to the baby’s skull in a gross and reckless manner. Based on its reconsideration of the facts, the court below affirmed a conviction of involuntary manslaughter by culpable negligence. Id. at 829. [187]*187The court then reassessed and affirmed the same sentence. Id. at 830.

The Judge Advocate General of the Air Force then certified the following issue:

WHETHER THE AIR FORCE COURT ERRED WHEN IT CONCLUDED THAT IT LACKED THE POWER TO REVISIT ITS EARLIER FINDING THAT THE EVIDENCE OF RECORD WAS FACTUALLY INSUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT APPELLEE’S CONVICTION OF UNPREMEDITATED MURDER.

Although this Court did not formally grant a cross-petition, it permitted Airman Riley to file additional pleadings in response to the decision of the court below on remand. Those additional pleadings raised three issues of law:

I
WHETHER, UPON A REMAND FROM THIS COURT, A COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS MAY RECONSIDER AND CHANGE FINDINGS OF FACT FAVORABLE TO THE DEFENSE, IF IT CONCLUDES ON RECONSIDERATION THAT ITS EARLIER FINDINGS OF FACT WERE CLEARLY ERRONEOUS.
II
WHETHER THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS ERRED BY REASSESSING AND AFFIRMING THE MAXIMUM IMPOSABLE PUNISHMENT FOR A LESSER-INCLUDED OFFENSE, INSTEAD OF ORDERING A SENTENCE REHEARING.
Ill
WHETHER APPELLATE DEFENSE COUNSEL WERE INEFFECTIVE WHEN THEY ADVISED APPELLEE THAT SHE COULD NOT LOSE THE BENEFIT OF THE FAVORABLE DECISION OF THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS IF SHE PETITIONED THIS COURT FOR REVIEW.

For the reasons set out below, we again remand this case to the court below for clarification of its findings.

DISCUSSION

Certified Issue

Appellee contends, citing United States v. Crider, 22 USCMA 108, 46 CMR 108 (1973), that the Court of Criminal Appeals was not free to reinstate her conviction of unpremeditated murder and the original adjudged sentence. The Government asserts that Crider has been effectively overruled by the Supreme Court in Tibbs v. Florida, 457 U.S. 31, 102 S.Ct. 2211, 72 L.Ed.2d 652 (1982). We hold that Crider was not overruled by Tibbs, and that Crider is the controlling precedent in this case. Accordingly, we answer the certified question in the negative.

In Crider, a panel of the Court of Military Review reduced a conviction of premeditated murder to unpremeditated murder. This Court reversed the decision below on the ground that the judges who decided the case should have recused themselves, and it remanded the case for further review by another panel of the court below. On further review by another panel, the Court of Military Review affirmed the original conviction of premeditated murder and the sentence affirmed by the original panel.

This Court began its analysis by stating a fundamental principle: “assuming jurisdiction below, an accused cannot come to harm by appealing here and securing a reversal of his conviction.” 22 USCMA at 110, 46 CMR at 110. This Court stated further that “an accused who obtains review here does not forgo the right to beneficial action taken on his behalf by the Court of Military Review when he secures reversal of that court’s action.” Id. This Court then held that the first panel decision by the Court of Military Review acquitted the accused of premeditated murder by affirming only the lesser-included offense of unpremeditated murder. This Court explained that Article 66(c), UCMJ, 10 USC § 866(c), “provides a de novo trial on the record at [the] appellate level.” Finally, this Court held that the accused was [188]*188entitled to plead double jeopardy against any attempt of the Court of Military Review to reinstate and affirm the conviction of the greater offense. Id. at 111, 46 CMR at 111.

In Tibbs v. Florida, swpra, the Supreme Court held that a defendant was not subjected to double jeopardy when the Florida Supreme Court reversed his convictions of murder and rape, set aside his death sentence, and ordered a rehearing on the ground that his convictions were legally sufficient but against “the weight of the evidence.” Tibbs v. Florida, 337 So.2d 788 (1976). The Florida Supreme Court acted pursuant to a state procedure that required it to review a conviction where a death sentence had been imposed to determine if “the interests of justice require a new trial.” Id. at 790. The Florida court relied on § 921.141(4) of the Florida Statutes and Florida Appellate Rule 6.16(b).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 M.J. 185, 2001 CAAF LEXIS 764, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-riley-armfor-2001.