United States v. Rousseau

21 M.J. 930
CourtU.S. Army Court of Military Review
DecidedFebruary 28, 1986
DocketCM 446031
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 21 M.J. 930 (United States v. Rousseau) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Army 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. Rousseau, 21 M.J. 930 (usarmymilrev 1986).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

YAWN, Senior Judge:

Contrary to his pleas, appellant was convicted of communication of a threat and various assaults against his wife and stepson, a child under the age of 16, in violation of Articles 134 and 128, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 934 and 928 (1982). He was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, confinement at hard labor for two years, eight months, forfeiture of $400.00 pay per month for two years, and reduction to the grade of Private E-l.

I

Facts

On 17 January 1984, appellant’s wife took her son to the Patch Barracks Dispensary (Stuttgart), Federal Republic of Germany, for medical treatment. When the medical examination revealed the possibility of child abuse, hospital personnel informed the Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). Subsequently, Mrs. Rousseau executed a sworn statement to a CID investigator naming appellant as the perpetrator in the offenses for which he was tried. At issue here is whether the military judge committed error in allowing the government to introduce the statement into evidence.

The first session of appellant’s trial occurred on 27 April 1984, where several defense motions were litigated. Mrs. Rousseau testified on appellant’s behalf [932]*932during this session and dearly expressed her intention not to testify on the merits. When trial resumed nearly three weeks later, defense counsel moved to suppress Mrs. Rousseau’s out-of-court statement, claiming it was inadmissible hearsay lacking the circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness necessary for admissibility under Mil.R.Evid. 803(24).1 In response, trial counsel asserted that the statement was admissible under Mil.R.Evid. 803(24). In support of this argument, he presented evidence describing the efforts made to secure Mrs. Rousseau’s presence at trial. Those efforts included formal requests to appear, issuance of a German subpoena,2 and repeated personal visits by representatives of trial counsel’s office who requested her presence at trial. The trial counsel informed the court that Mrs. Rousseau had refused to appear; she was not present; and he did not know her whereabouts. Defense counsel responded that appellant indicated his wife did intend to testify and that she, the defense counsel, intended to call her as a defense witness on the issue of the admissibility of her statement.

After a short recess, defense counsel announced that she had seen Mrs. Rousseau in the hallway during the break, and “[s]he informed me she told Captain G [trial counsel] she didn’t wish to testify. I don’t know where that leaves me, Your Honor, other than to argue on the motion itself.” Defense counsel’s argument then focused on the claimed denial of appellant’s right of confrontation under the sixth amendment, United States Constitution, and assertions that Mrs. Rousseau’s statement lacked the appropriate indicia of reliability necessary for admissibility. The record indicates defense counsel conceded that Mrs. Rousseau was unavailable.

The military judge admitted the statement into evidence under Mil.R.Evid. 803(24). He held the evidence was material, was more probative than any other evidence on the point which reasonably could be obtained, and that the interests of justice would be served by admitting the evidence. The judge also stated that Mrs. Rousseau was truthful when she gave the statement. Finally, the judge stated that, under the facts of the case, there was at least the potential Mrs. Rousseau’s refusal to appear was within the control of the defense, and that her relationship with the appellant was also likely a factor in her decision.3

The issue presented in this case requires us to consider the applicability of Military Rule of Evidence 803(24), one of the so-called residual exceptions to the hearsay rule, and the relationship between this rule and the confrontation clause of the sixth amendment. Appellant argues that Mrs. Rousseau was available to testify,4 and that her statement bore insufficient guarantees of trustworthiness. He asserts, [933]*933therefore, the statement was inadmissible under the hearsay exceptions and violated the confrontation clause. We disagree and affirm.

II

Rule 803(24)

Rule 803(24) requires the proponent of hearsay evidence to satisfy five substantive requirements: trustworthiness equal to other recognized exceptions to the hearsay rule; materiality; probative value greater than that of other evidence; that the interests of justice are served; and, notice.5 The trial judge found the evidence was material and that the interests of justice would be served by its admission. These findings are clearly within the trial judge’s discretion. Finding no abuse of discretion, we shall not disturb his findings. United States v. Whalen, 15 M.J. 872 (A.C.M.R.1983); United States v. Loalza-Vasquez, 735 F.2d 153 (5th Cir.1984). Whether the two remaining requirements, probative value and equivalent guarantees of trustworthiness, were satisfied demands a more detailed analysis.

A.

First, Mil.R.Evid. 803(24)(B) sets out that, to be admissible, the statement must be “more probative on the point for which it is offered than any other evidence which the proponent can procure through reasonable efforts____” Appellant seizes this requirement and argues Mrs. Rousseau’s statement does not satisfy this prerequisite inasmuch as her live testimony, subject to both cross-examination and the panel’s evaluation of her demeanor, would have been more probative evidence of how the injuries occurred. In effect, appellant argues that Mrs. Rousseau’s unavailability must be established before Rule 803(24) may be utilized. Although this position has been adopted by some, see United States v. Mathis, 559 F.2d 294, 298-99 (5th Cir.1977); cf. United States v. Arnold, 18 M.J. 559 (A.C.M.R.1984), pet. granted, 20 M.J. 129 (C.M.A.1985), it appears to run afoul of the clear language of the rule that availability is immaterial and, in fact, makes Rules 803 and 804 redundant.6 Under the facts of the case, however, we need not decide how strictly Rule 803(24)(B) should be interpreted, for we conclude the government’s efforts to produce Mrs. Rousseau were reasonable and that Mrs. Rousseau was unavailable. See Part II, infra. Mrs. Rousseau’s statement, therefore, was more probative than any other evidence available concerning the appellant’s actions.

B.

The remaining requirement of the rule specifies that the proponent demonstrate that the proffered evidence has circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness equivalent to any of the enumerated hearsay exceptions. Here, the trial judge did not specifically enumerate the facts which, in his judgment, indicated trustworthiness. Thus, as did the courts in United States v. Hines, 18 M.J. 729 (A.F.C.M.R.), pet. granted, 19 M.J. 246 (C.M.A.1984); and Huff v. White Motor Corp., 609 F.2d 286

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Bluebook (online)
21 M.J. 930, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-rousseau-usarmymilrev-1986.