United States v. Rogers

54 M.J. 244, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 1200, 2000 WL 1685781
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedNovember 8, 2000
Docket99-0838/AF
StatusPublished
Cited by53 cases

This text of 54 M.J. 244 (United States v. Rogers) 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. Rogers, 54 M.J. 244, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 1200, 2000 WL 1685781 (Ark. 2000).

Opinions

Senior Judge COX

delivered the opinion of the Court.

Appellant was the commander of the 90th Fighter Squadron, which deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base (AFB), Alaska, to Aviano Air Base (AB), Italy. He stands convicted of disorderly conduct on divers occasions and conduct unbecoming an officer by “wrongfully and willfully developing] an unprofessional relationship of inappropriate familiarity” with First Lieutenant (lLt) Julie Clemm, a subordinate member of his command.1 Both offenses were alleged to have occurred at or near Pordenone, Italy, in November and December of 1995.

We granted review of these issues:

I
WHETHER THE AIR FORCE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS ERRED BY UPHOLDING CHARGE II AND THE SPECIFICATION THEREUNDER (ALLEGING AN UNPROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP UNDER ARTICLE 133) BECAUSE THE SPECIFICATION WAS UNCONSTITUTIONALLY VAGUE WHEN IT FAILED TO IDENTIFY A RELEVANT CUSTOM OR REGULATION WHICH PROHIBITS RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OFFICERS.
II
WHETHER THE AIR FORCE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS ERRED BY UPHOLDING CHARGE II AND THE SPECIFICATION THEREUNDER (ALLEGING AN UNPROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP UNDER ARTICLE 133) BECAUSE THE SPECIFICATION FAILED TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC ACTS WHICH CONSTITUTED AN UNPROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP AND AS SUCH FAILED TO STATE AN OFFENSE.
Ill
WHETHER THE EVIDENCE IS LEGALLY INSUFFICIENT TO FIND APPELLANT GUILTY OF CHARGE II, WILLFULLY DEVELOPING AN UN[246]*246PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH 1LT CLEMM.

Being a court with only legal review authority, Art. 67(c), Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 USC § 867(c), we review facts in the light most favorable to the prevailing party below. It is not our function to reweigh evidence and determine guilt or innocence anew. In the case of legal sufficiency of the evidence, our standard of review is “whether, considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, a reasonable factfinder could have found all the essential elements beyond a reasonable doubt.” United States v. Turner, 25 MJ 324 (CMA 1987); see Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). Further, “[i]n resolving legal-sufficiency questions, ... [we are] bound to draw every reasonable inference from the evidence of record in favor of the prosecution.” United States v. Blocker, 32 MJ 281, 284 (CMA 1991).

The Evidence

The 90th Fighter Squadron deployed to Italy on October 4, 1995, with eight F-15E’s and twelve 2-man crews. The mission was “to maintain around the clock presence over [the] top of Bosnia.” There had been “multiple air strikes” on Bosnia the week prior to the 90th’s arrival. The 90th was flying combat missions over Bosnia. Generally, they worked 6 days on and 2 days off. As the off-days rarely coincided with calendar weekends, the off-days were known as “virtual weekends,” comprised of “virtual Saturdays” and “virtual Sundays.”

Appellant first met lLt Clemm at an Officers’ Club in Korea, in April or May 1995, while the 90th was in Korea on temporary duty. She was interested in a position in his squadron, and he approved her application. lLt Clemm arrived at Elmendorf AFB about the time the squadron was deploying to Italy. She joined the squadron in Italy on November 18, 1995, about a month and a half into the operation.

Captain (Cpt) Laurie Lovrak also met lLt Clemm in Korea in about May 1995. Cpt Lovrak became lLt Clemm’s sponsor, in effect, as she processed into the squadron, and Cpt Lovrak preceded lLt Clemm to Italy.

In Italy, Cpt Lovrak briefed lLt Clemm, among other things, on who was who in the squadron and who to watch out for. As Cpt Lovrak explained in her testimony:

Basically, I was pointing out for her individuals. For example, happily married aircrews on whom she could rely for professional, platonic support. Also pointing out to her members that might have ulteri- or motives in seeking a close friendship with her. I was concerned for her welfare.

Cpt Lovrak warned lLt Clemm against hanging around and drinking with the aircrews. As she testified:

I talked about my experiences in the fighter squadrons and tried to point out to her that the aircrews who drink together are perceived as, you know, the good old boys, but we’re females in Ops [Operations], and when we join them, we look like promiscuous lushes and that’s the way we’re viewed, especially if we’re returning the flirtations. There is a double standard that is unfortunate, but I said don’t allow yourself to get in that position, you’re walking a dangerous line.

Cpt Lovrak knew in Korea that lLt Clemm was married. Apparently lLt Clemm’s marriage was failing, although no action had been taken to institute divorce proceedings. In Italy, lLt Clemm held herself out as single.

November 21, 1995 — three days after lLt Clemm arrived in country — was a virtual Saturday, and a Thanksgiving party was organized for the entire squadron. The party was held at a hotel near Caorle, Italy, well to the south of Aviano AB on the Adriatic coast. This was the hotel in which the enlisted members of the squadron were quartered, and in which the officers had been quartered until just previously. At the time of the party, the officers were newly quartered in a hotel in the town of Pordenone, about - an hour to an hour and a half by car from Caorle, and much nearer to the air base.

After dinner, a large number of the enlisted personnel went down to the beach for a [247]*247bonfire, but some of the officers and enlisted people remained behind in the hotel bar. It was at this point that numerous members of the squadron began to notice behavior that caused concern.

Cpt Lovrak noticed that, at dinner, lLt Clemm had been drinking “excessively, and at the bar she continued to drink excessively.” This surprised Cpt Lovrak, “based on our previous — my previous observations and our conversations.” lLt Clemm “became very physically flirtatious with aircrews at the bar, particularly Major (Maj) Cloutier.2 Both of them were behind the bar.”

Cpt Lovrak painted the scene:

She [lLt Clemm] had, at this point, removed her outer sweater and Major— there was probably room just barely for two people to stand behind the bar, between the bar and the back mirrors. She — Major Cloutier was in back of her. She stood with sometimes a drink in each hand or a drink in one hand, a cigarette in the other, or a cigarette in each hand, and pushed back against him, pressed against him, turned around and had her hands all over his chest. Major Cloutier was making it apparent, I mean, very blatant attempts to sidestep her and get around her, but she would find her way to that very same position.

Cpt Lovrak declined to join the party at the bonfire. As she testified:

The situation was beginning to deteriorate. It was obvious that people were growing very disgusted with what was going on at the bar, including enlisted personnel that were still standing around. Major Moore and I attempted to get Lieutenant Clemm to come back to the hotel with us and she didn’t want to, so I left with Major Moóre.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
54 M.J. 244, 2000 CAAF LEXIS 1200, 2000 WL 1685781, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-rogers-armfor-2000.