United States v. Sampson

7 M.J. 513, 1979 CMR LEXIS 744
CourtU.S. Army Court of Military Review
DecidedMarch 20, 1979
DocketCM 436811
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 7 M.J. 513 (United States v. Sampson) 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. Sampson, 7 M.J. 513, 1979 CMR LEXIS 744 (usarmymilrev 1979).

Opinions

OPINION OF THE COURT

CARNE, Senior Judge, and THORNOCK, Judge:

This case is before the Court for mandatory review pursuant to Article 66, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. § 866.

Private First Class Dennis H. Sampson was charged with burglary, attempted rape and indecent assault in violation of Articles 129, 80 and 134, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 929, 880, 934, respectively. The charge of indecent assault was withdrawn by the Government after arraignment.1 The court-martial with members found him guilty of all charges and sentenced him to a dishonorable discharge, confinement at hard labor for eight years, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and reduction to the rank of Private (E-1). The convening authority approved only so much of the sentence as provides for a dishonorable discharge, confinement at hard labor for two years, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and reduction to the rank of Private (E-1).

I

First we consider whether the evidence is sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant committed an overt act tending toward the completion of rape which amounted to more than mere preparation; and whether that act was accompanied by the specific intent required for the offense of attempted rape. The [515]*515appellant contends the evidence is insufficient to prove both elements.

a. Operative Facts:

The record shows that at approximately 0240 hours on 5 November 1977, the appellant entered the occupied quarters of 2LT and Mrs. “J” at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Mrs. “J” testified that her husband was in the master bedroom reading a magazine, that she was in her bathroom and that she was nude. She had completed her shower and was leaning forward wringing out her hair when she heard the sound of the front storm door closing, footsteps on the creaking wooden floor tiles and their puppy barking in the hallway. When the bathroom door opened she looked up expecting to see her husband, but was shocked to see the right half of the nude body of the appellant. She looked directly at his face as he looked at her with a “leering smile.” He leaned toward her reaching in the direction of her neck and shoulder with his right hand. She screamed and yelled for her husband as she thought the appellant was going to attack her. When she screamed, he continued standing there reaching for her until 2LT “J” responded from the master bedroom with a loud continuous yell. Then the appellant’s facial expression became one of surprise, and he immediately turned and ran through the front door. Mrs. “J” testified that she saw the appellant for approximately 10 seconds and that 2LT “J” pursued the appellant closely and continued to yell. As the appellant ran, he also defecated, leaving a trail of fecal matter from the house to a point across the street where 2LT “J” tackled and subdued him.

In his testimony 2LT “J” described the actions of the appellant as follows: When tackled, the appellant fought back; when asked “Who do you think you are?”, the appellant responded with, “This big black guy made me do it, this big black guy made me do it” “He made me take these drugs, he made me do it, this big black guy made me do it”; the appellant’s speech was understandable, very clear and unslurred. 2LT “J” testified that he yelled for a neighbor’s help, and someone called the military police. Several moments later the appellant stated “I’m going to swallow my tongue” and made sounds as if he were choking. As the lieutenant attempted to clear the appellant’s breathing passage, the appellant bit him. Thereafter, the appellant was allowed to stand to get some air and at that point the appellant stopped making the gutteral sound, looked at the lieutenant and his neighbor, and started running away. 2LT “J” caught him again and held him until the military police came and apprehended him.

Immediately thereafter Mr. Edwards, a CID agent, conducted an investigation at the scene of the incident. A search was conducted for the black man the appellant had talked about but no trace of him could be found.

Later, behind their quarters, 2LT “J” and his wife discovered a pile of clothes, consisting of a blue garment and some black tennis shoes, and the screen from a window lying on the ground. He called the CID agent, who returned. When they entered the back bedroom, they saw that the screen had been removed, that the potted plant on the window sill appeared to have been moved and that there were small piles of sand leading from the window. Previously, this window had been left open to ventilate the room; however, the screen on the inside of the window had been left in place.

The defense presented the testimony of Dr. Goldberg, the physician who examined the appellant in the emergency room of Womack Army Hospital approximately two hours after the incident. Dr. Goldberg testifed that during the appellant’s stay in the emergency room, he seemed disoriented, emotional and panicky. The doctor said the appellant seemed unaware of who he was, where he was and who the doctor was. When medical personnel told the appellant he would be all right, he responded by saying “No, he’s going to get me.”

Dr. Goldberg’s conclusions are summarized as follows: His findings concerning PFC Sampson were not inconsistent with [516]*516ingestion of alcohol, drugs and the possibility of sexual assault on Sampson. However, his findings were also not inconsistent with ingestion of alcohol and fear without any sexual assault. Neither conclusion was more probable than the other. There was no evidence of sexual assault. His best estimate was that appellant was not acting, but he could not say positively that he was not acting.

b. Discussion of Evidence:

We have carefully reviewed the record for: (1) proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant committed an overt act tending toward the completion of rape, which amounted to more than mere preparation; and (2) proof beyond a reasonable doubt of the appellant’s concurrent specific intent to commit rape as required for the offense of attempted rape.2 While conducting our review of the evidence we were mindful that the law provides that:

[T]he intention to commit the substantive crime [rape] alleged cannot be proven by the overt act alone . . . the specific intention to commit the substantive offense [rape] and the overt act must each be proven by the evidence, and proof of the overt act alone cannot be “boot strapped” up to prove also the specific intent required. . . ,3

Although we find that there is sufficient evidence of an overt act tending toward the completion of rape, which amounts to more than mere preparation, we do not find sufficient proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant had the specific intent required for the offense of attempted rape, 1. e., that the appellant intended to have sexual intercourse with a woman not his wife by force and without her consent where he intended to overcome any resistance by force, active or constructive, and to penetrate the woman’s person.4

Our first observation is that, as in most instances where specific intent is at issue, there was no declaration by the appellant indicating an intent to commit rape.

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Bluebook (online)
7 M.J. 513, 1979 CMR LEXIS 744, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-sampson-usarmymilrev-1979.