United States v. Sager

76 M.J. 158, 2017 CAAF LEXIS 209, 2017 WL 1077063
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedMarch 21, 2017
Docket16-0418/NA
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 76 M.J. 158 (United States v. Sager) 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. Sager, 76 M.J. 158, 2017 CAAF LEXIS 209, 2017 WL 1077063 (Ark. 2017).

Opinions

Chief Judge ERDMANN

delivered the opinion of the court.

Contrary to his pleas, a mixed panel sitting as a general court-martial convicted Aviation Ordnanceman Airman (AN) Jeffrey D. Sager of one specification of abusive sexual contact, in violation of Article 120(d), Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. § 120(d) (2012). Consistent with his plea, Sager was acquitted of a separate specification of abusive sexual contact in alleged violation of Article 120(d), UCMJ. Sager was sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge and twenty-four months of confinement. The convening authority approved the sentence as adjudged and the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) affirmed the findings and the sentence.

Article 120(d), UCMJ, prohibits sexual contact with another person if they are “asleep, unconscious, or otherwise unaware that the sexual [contact] is occurring.”1 We granted review to determine whether the CCA erred when it held that this language created a single theory of criminal liability and also whether the CCA erred when it relied on facts of which Sager had been acquitted to affirm his conviction.2 We hold that the CCA erred in its interpretation of Article 120(d) and remand the case for reconsideration consistent with this opinion.

Background

At trial, Sager was charged with two specifications of violating Article 120(d), UCMJ. The first charge alleged that Sager committed sexual contact on AN TK while he was incapable of consenting due to impairment by an intoxicant. The Additional Charge alleged that Sager committed sexual contact on AN TK while he was incapable of consenting because he was asleep, unconscious, or otherwise unaware that the contact was occurring.3

Following the merits portion of the court-martial, the military judge provided the panel with his instructions and the findings worksheet. The military judge explained the format of the findings worksheet to the panel:

As you can see, Madam President, this is very straightforward. The interesting part is that you have to circle under the charge and specification the theory of the government you adopt if you convict. You’ll notice that.... [i]t’s he knew or should have known.... That means you’re going to have to vote one that—on both theories ....
The first vote is -going to be, okay, is he guilty or not guilty of the charge under the ... specification under the theory of “knew” he knew. Is he guilty or not guilty under the theory of “should have known” because the government has both théo-ries.... But you have to circle the one that’s applicable, okay.

At the conclusion of deliberations, the members found Sager not guilty of Charge I (alleging AN TK was incapable of consenting [160]*160due to his intoxication), but guilty of the Additional Charge (alleging AN TK was incapable of consenting because he was otherwise unaware that the sexual act was occurring). The members completed the findings worksheet as follows:

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The panel’s finding was mirrored by Appellant’s Court-Martial Order, which reflected that Appellant was “Guilty of touching the penis of [AN TK] with his hand when he reasonably should have known that [AN TK] was otherwise unaware that the sexual contact was occurring.”

On appeal before the CCA, Sager argued that Article 120(d) was unconstitutionally vague and that his conviction for abusive sexual contact of TK while he was “otherwise unaware” was factually and legally insufficient. United States v. Sager, No. NMCCA 201400356, 2016 CCA LEXIS 671 at *1-2, 2016 WL 9487926, at *1 (N-M. Ct. Crim. App. Dec. 29, 2016) (unpublished). The CCA concluded:

that asleep or unconscious are examples of how an individual may be “otherwise unaware” and are not alternate theories of criminal liability. A plain reading of the phrase is that a person cannot engage in sexual contact with another person when he/she knows or reasonably should know that the recipient of the contact does not know it is happening.

2015 CCA LEXIS. 671 at *9, 2015 WL 9487926, at *3.

Further, when analyzing Sager’s challenge to the factual and legal sufficiency of Ms conviction, the CCA found that:

AN TK testified that when he awoke the appellant was already manually stimulating Ms perns. The Government introduced substantial evidence that AN TK was heavily intoxicated when he returned to PC2 DS’s apartment and laid on the futon. Whether AN TK was asleep or unconscious due to alcohol consumption/exhaustion, or a combination of these things is only relevant as to whether the appellant reasonably should have known AN TK was “otherwise unaware” of the sexual contact. After carefully reviewing the entire record of trial, to include all testimony and admitted exMbits, and considering the- evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, we are convinced that a reasonable fact-finder could have found all the essential elements beyond a reasonable doubt. Furthermore, after weighing all the evidence in the record of trial and having made allowances for not having personally observed the witnesses, we are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant reasonably should have known AN TK was otherwise unware [sic] that the sexual [161]*161act was occurring. Thus, we find the appellant’s conviction on the Additional Charge and specification is both legally and factually sufficient.

2016 CCA LEXIS 671 at *11-12, 2016 WL 9487926, at *4.

Discussion4

We are initially asked to determine whether the CCA erred in its interpretation of the following language of Article 120(b)(2), as incorporated into Article 120(d)! commits a sexual contact “upon another person when the person knows or reasonably should know that the other person is asleep, unconscious, or otherwise unaware that the sexual [contact] is occurring.”

This court reviews questions of statutory interpretation de novo. United States v. Atchak, 75 M.J. 193, 196 (C.A.A.F. 2016). The primary issue in this case is whether the language which states that a person may not make sexual contact with someone who is “asleep, unconscious, or otherwise unaware,” creates three separate theories under which one may be guilty of the offense or, as the CCA has held, the language creates a single theory of criminal liability.

Citing Richards v. United States, 369 U.S. 1, 82 S.Ct. 585, 7 L.Ed.2d 492 (1962), and Platt v. Union Pac. R.R. Co., 99 U.S. 48, 25 L.Ed. 424 (1878), Sager contends the CCA’s analysis ignores the plain language of the statute and violates two canons of statutory construction: the “ordinary meaning” canon—that the words of a statute are to be taken in their natural and ordinary signification and import; and the “surplusage” canon—that, if possible, every word and every provision is to be given effect and that no word should be ignored or needlessly be given an interpretation that causes it to duplicate another provision or to have no consequence.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
76 M.J. 158, 2017 CAAF LEXIS 209, 2017 WL 1077063, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-sager-armfor-2017.