United States v. Ruppel

45 M.J. 578, 1997 CCA LEXIS 56, 1997 WL 64009
CourtUnited States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedFebruary 7, 1997
DocketACM 31891
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 45 M.J. 578 (United States v. Ruppel) 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. Ruppel, 45 M.J. 578, 1997 CCA LEXIS 56, 1997 WL 64009 (afcca 1997).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

SCHREIER, Senior Judge:

Contrary to his pleas, members convicted appellant of sodomy with CH, his minor stepdaughter, one specification of indecent acts by licking her vagina and digitally penetrating her vagina, one specification of masturbating in front of her, and one specification of showing her pornographic movies. He was also convicted of one specification of an indecent act with JR, his natural daughter, by placing her hand on his penis. He was sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for 7 years, forfeiture of $400 pay per month for 7 years, and reduction to E-l. Appellant asserts 12 assignments of error. We grant relief to correct two errors in the convening authority’s action, but otherwise affirm the findings and sentence.

This case has a rather convoluted history. At his initial trial in June 1993, appellant was [581]*581convicted of sodomy with CH, three specifications of indecent acts or indecent liberties with CH, and one specification of an indecent act with JR. Through his post-trial Rules for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 1105/1106 submissions, appellant claimed that the government failed to provide requested discovery materials. The convening authority ordered a DuBay hearing to investigate these concerns. United States v. DuBay, 17 U.S.C.M.A. 147, 37 C.M.R. 411, 1967 WL 4276 (1967). This hearing was held in March 1994 with both sides presenting extensive evidence, both documentary and testimonial. The military judge determined that requested discovery materials concerning CH were not provided and recommended a new trial for the allegations concerning only appellant’s step-daughter. The convening authority disapproved the findings of guilty for the charges pertaining to CH and ordered a new trial. Additionally, he approved a finding of guilty to an allegation of an indecent act with JR but ordered a rehearing on sentence.

The retrial began in October 1994. However, by this time more materials were found which were responsive to the original discovery requests. Further delays occurred and the court-martial resumed in February 1995.

BACKGROUND

In December 1990, appellant married Armelle H who had two children, CH and JH. This was appellant’s second marriage. One evening a friend was visiting appellant’s home while Armelle was at work. He observed appellant entering CH’s room three times after he put her to bed and closing the door each time. He considered this behavior suspicious and subsequently reported it to Armelle the next morning. Armelle immediately went to the school bus stop and asked CH if appellant was doing anything to her. CH told her mother that appellant was touching her. In return, he was letting her smoke and drink and point her middle finger in the air. At this time CH was seven years old. A joint civilian and military investigation followed.

As part of this investigation, agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) contacted appellant’s daughter, JR, from his first marriage. She described an incident which occurred in 1989 when she was 11 years old. At that time, appellant was divorced from his first wife and had custody of their two children, JR and BR. JR stated there was one time when appellant took her hand and placed it on his penis. During an investigation of the incident in 1989, she downplayed it and described it as an accident. The Department of Human Services records confirmed an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in 1989. There were no charges and custody was transferred to the mother. However, during the 1992 inquiry JR described the sexual assault in more graphic terms. At a later point she also described a “dream” where she performed sodomy on appellant.

Appellant was charged with committing an indecent act with JR, sodomy of JR, and sodomy, indecent acts, and indecent liberties with CH. At the initial trial in 1993, appellant was convicted of the offenses of sodomy with CH, indecent acts and indecent liberties with CH, and one specification of an indecent act with JR. Appellant was acquitted of the specification alleging sodomy with JR and one indecent acts specification involving CH.

The convening authority subsequently disapproved the findings of guilty for the charges involving CH and ordered those charges retried on the merits. He approved the finding of guilty for the indecent act specification involving JR but ordered a rehearing on the sentence only.

ADMISSIBILITY OF EVIDENCE UNDER R.C.M. 810(a)(3) and MIL. R. EVID. 404(b)

During the appellant’s retrial, the prosecution sought to introduce the testimony of appellant’s daughter, JR, on the merits. The prosecution argued that her testimony concerning the single incident when appellant placed her hand on his penis was admissible as evidence of a continuing scheme or plan by appellant to commit sexual abuse with female children subject to his control. The defense opposed the introduction of this evidence arguing that a retrial on findings should proceed without reference to any offenses being reheard on sentence only, [582]*582R.C.M. 810(a)(3), and that it was not admissible under Mil.R.Evid. 404(b).

The military judge found that the evidence was admissible but prohibited any mention of the prior court-martial or appellant’s conviction for the indecent act involving JR. He found seven common factors between the incidents involving the two victims and concluded that there was evidence of a plan “to engage in indecent acts with his daughters....”

R.C.M. 810 governs the procedures for rehearings. It provides that:

[w]hen a rehearing on sentence is combined with a trial on the merits of one or more specifications referred to the court-. martial, whether or not such the specifications are being tried for the first time or reheard, the trial will proceed first on the merits, without reference to the offenses being reheard on sentence only.

R.C.M. 810(a)(3).

Appellant urges that the plain language of the rule prohibits any mention whatsoever of, not just the conviction from the earlier trial, but also the underlying basis for the conviction. We disagree. Neither counsel nor our own research located any case law directly on point. Therefore, we will look at the interpretation of similar provisions.

The rule governing mixed pleas provides that “the military judge should ordinarily defer informing the members of the offenses to which the accused has pleaded guilty until after the findings on the remaining contested issues have been entered.” R.C.M. 913(a). One purpose of this rule is to preserve the presumption of innocence before the court members. See United States v. Rivera, 23 M.J. 89 (C.M.A.1986). We believe the same logic applies in analyzing the rule regarding retrials. The court members will not be informed of the prior conviction to avoid any potential prejudice in their deliberations on findings.

However, the mixed plea rule does not preclude the admissibility of any evidence surrounding the offense to which the accused pled guilty. “Regardless of the plea, the evidence establishing the accused’s misconduct can be received if it qualifies for admission under Mil. R. Evid. 404(b) and is not unduly prejudicial under Mil. R. Evid. 403.” United States v. Rivera, 23 M.J. at 96. We find that a similar logic applies in interpreting the retrial rule. For example, suppose the alleged misconduct involving JR was not tried at the first trial but was subsequently discovered.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 M.J. 578, 1997 CCA LEXIS 56, 1997 WL 64009, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-ruppel-afcca-1997.