United States v. Rust

38 M.J. 726, 1993 CMR LEXIS 366, 1993 WL 339150
CourtU S Air Force Court of Military Review
DecidedSeptember 3, 1993
DocketACM 29629
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 38 M.J. 726 (United States v. Rust) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U S Air Force 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. Rust, 38 M.J. 726, 1993 CMR LEXIS 366, 1993 WL 339150 (usafctmilrev 1993).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

HEIMBURG, Judge:

Our original opinion in this case was unpublished (ACM 29629, 24 August 1993). That opinion is hereby withdrawn.

This general court-martial raises the issue, among others, whether “dereliction in duty” encompasses medical malpractice, the failure of a military physician to meet the appropriate “standard of care.”

Major (Dr.) Rust, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, was convicted by a general court-martial sitting with members of negligent dereliction in duty and making a false official statement.1 On appeal, he asserts 15 errors affecting both findings and sentence. We find no error affecting findings and affirm, but erroneous admission of a prosecution exhibit during presentence proceedings requires us to vacate the sentence.

THE CHARGES

Appellant was convicted of dereliction in duty in that he “willfully failed to report to the Emergency Room when required to do so, failed to personally examine [Ms. S], and failed to provide proper medical care to [Ms. S], as it was his duty to do.” He challenges the legal basis for his charges, arguing “it is against public policy to prosecute a military physician for negligence committed in the course of medical treatment.” As logical support for this assertion he cites the protection against civil suit afforded military physicians by 10 U.S.C. § 1089. In addition, he cites an unwritten “custom” against criminal prosecution in the Air Force and the resulting lack of constitutionally-required notice of the criminal nature of his conduct. We are unconvinced by appellant’s arguments, finding his prosecution not barred by law, custom, or lack of fundamental due process. In our view, medical malpractice by an officer whose military duties require him to provide medical care may be punished as dereliction in duty under Article 92(3), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 892(3).

We begin by observing that nothing in the wording or history of Article 92, UCMJ, suggests it is an inappropriate vehicle for holding military medical professionals accountable for the proper performance of their duties. Appellant, nevertheless, points to the legislative history of 10 U.S.C. § 1089 (1988) as evidence of a legislative intent not to prosecute military physicians for simple negligence in the performance of medical duties.

10 U.S.C. § 1089, enacted in 1976, immunizes military physicians from personal liability for medical malpractice committed in the performance of their duties.2 There is no mention of crime, criminal liability, or the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 10 U.S.C. § 1089. Since, on its face, this law does not touch on criminal responsibility, we resist appellant’s invitation to [729]*729examine its legislative history, as we find nothing in this enactment requiring our interpretation. Although appellant argues Congress could not have intended to immunize military physicians from civil liability but leave them liable criminally under the UCMJ for negligent medical treatment, we see nothing facially inconsistent in this state of affairs.

Appellant’s second argument in support of his position that public policy bars his prosecution for dereliction in duty is a supposed unwritten “policy and custom” of the Air Force and other military services. He cites no authority in support of this position, only the paucity of reported cases of dereliction in duty arising out of medical malpractice. We find this argument, based on the infrequency of reported appellate decisions, particularly unpersuasive. In light of the relatively minor nature of the offense of dereliction in duty,3 one may reasonably infer that most instances of minor derelictions by officers are dealt with by measures other than court-martial, but that does not detract from their status as offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. See generally R.C.M. 306(b) and Discussion thereto; MCM, Part V, paragraph le (1984).4

Appellant’s third public policy argument is based on Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733, 94 S.Ct. 2547, 41 L.Ed.2d 439 (1974). He argues that he was not on notice that he could be prosecuted for medical malpractice, based on the infrequency of such reported cases and fact that malpractice is not addressed in the language of Article 92 itself. Parker v. Levy addressed whether the “general articles,” Articles 133 and 134, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 933 and 934, were “void for vagueness” or “overbroad” and thus violative of the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment. The opinion never questioned whether a specific punitive article of the UCMJ, such as Article 92, might be “void for vagueness” or “overbroad,” and is no support for appellant’s argument. As for the wording of Article 92, we readily agree with appellant it contains no mention of medical malpractice, but it mentions no other specific military duty, either. Article 92(3), UCMJ, simply provides,

Any person subject to this chapter who—
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(3) is derelict in the performance of his duties; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

The Court of Military Appeals recently upheld this simple negligence standard of criminality in the case of an officer convicted of dereliction arising from the nonperformance of military duties. United States v. Lawson, 36 M.J. 415 (C.M.A.1993). We see no meaningful distinction to be drawn in this case, and find Article 92(3) was applied properly to appellant’s conduct.

ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE

Appellant was convicted of making a false official statement to the base claims officer that he told Ms. S he wanted to admit her to the clinic, but she refused. By early January 1991, the events of Christmas Day 1990 had become the focus of some attention, and had been reported to the base claims office as a potential medical malpractice claim. Captain C was the newly assigned base claims officer.

Captain C testified his predecessor told him of the incident involving appellant and [730]*730suggested investigation was required. On 3 January 1991, Captain C was at the clinic to pick up some medical records unrelated to this case. The clinic patient affairs administrator suggested Captain C should meet appellant, and took him to appellant’s office for an introduction. Captain C told appellant he “was the hospital’s lawyer” whose job was to investigate potential claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

He went on to describe the process of investigation and reports through legal and medical channels which would be involved. He and appellant discussed the events of 25 December.

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United States v. Marchand
56 M.J. 630 (U S Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals, 2001)
McKinney v. Jarvis
46 M.J. 870 (Army Court of Criminal Appeals, 1997)
United States v. Rust
41 M.J. 472 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 1995)
United States v. Ferguson
40 M.J. 823 (U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review, 1994)

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Bluebook (online)
38 M.J. 726, 1993 CMR LEXIS 366, 1993 WL 339150, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-rust-usafctmilrev-1993.