United States v. Saxon

9 M.J. 948, 1980 CMR LEXIS 519
CourtU.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review
DecidedAugust 29, 1980
DocketNCM 78 1076
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 9 M.J. 948 (United States v. Saxon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Navy-Marine Corps 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. Saxon, 9 M.J. 948, 1980 CMR LEXIS 519 (usnmcmilrev 1980).

Opinion

CEDARBURG, Chief Judge:

Appellant pleaded guilty at his original general court-martial to voluntary manslaughter, lesser included in a Charge of unpremeditated murder, wrongful appropriation of the homicide victim’s pickup truck, and unauthorized absence, in violation of Articles 119, 121 and 86, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. §§ 919, 921, 886. Findings of guilty in accordance with his pleas were entered by the military judge at an Article 39(a), 10 U.S.C. § 839(a) session on 29 March 1978. Sentence was imposed by a court composed of officer and enlisted members on 5 April 1978. On review by this Court, the findings were affirmed but the sentence was set aside due to erroneous restriction of voir dire during the empaneling of the general court-martial members. A rehearing on the sentence was authorized. United States v. Saxon, 7 M.J. 609 (N.C.M.R.1979). The rehearing has been completed. The sentence approved below consists of a dishonorable discharge, confinement at hard labor for 6 years, forfeiture of $350.00 pay per month for 72 months and reduction to pay grade E-l. The case is again before us for decision.

Appellant has assigned eight alleged errors but we conclude that he has not been prejudiced in any substantial right and that only the following warrant discussion:

I
THE ACCUSED WAS IMPROPERLY BROUGHT TO TRIAL, OVER HIS OBJECTION, PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF FIVE DAYS AFTER HE WAS SERVED WITH THE CHARGES.
II
THE MILITARY JUDGE IMPROPERLY REFUSED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, ON VOIR DIRE, RELATING TO HIS POSSIBLE DISQUALIFICATION BASED ON THE REVERSAL OF THIS CASE BEFORE.
III
THE MILITARY JUDGE WAS IMPROPERLY DETAILED TO THE CASE INASMUCH AS THE CONVENING AUTHORITY RELINQUISHED HIS DECISION TO THE LOCAL JUDICIARY.

I

The rehearing on sentence convened on 18 June 1979. The defense objected to proceeding to trial prior to expiration of five days after having been served with a copy of the charges. The individual military defense counsel represented to the military judge at the start of the proceedings that “[t]he accused in this case was not served with charges until less than one hour ago.” The military judge implicitly concluded that the service of charges on 5 December 1977 prior to the original trial satisfied the statutory requirement of Article 35, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 835, rejecting the argument of defense counsel that paragraphs 44h and 58c, Manual for Courts-Martial, 1969 (Rev.) (MCM), and Article 35, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 835, mandated a re-service of charges upon a rehearing. Appellate defense counsel renews the trial objection, additionally citing paragraphs 81b (2) and 44g, MCM.

We have examined each of the Manual provisions as well as Article 35, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 835, and find no explicit requirement for charges to be served a second time prior to a rehearing. We conclude further that none of the cited authorities persuasively supports appellant’s argument to that effect. Article 35, 10 U.S.C. § 835 simply does not address a rehearing; it prohibits bringing an accused to trial before [950]*950a general court-martial or an Article 39(a), 10 U.S.C. § 839(a) session of a general court-martial within a period of five days after service of charges. Paragraph 58c, MCM, provides as one basis for a continuance, the failure to serve a copy of charges as required by Article 35, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 835. Paragraph 44g relates to the duties of trial counsel during trial and does not discuss, even remotely, service of charges for a rehearing. Paragraph 44h provides that immediately upon receipt of the charges referred to trial, trial counsel will serve a copy of the Charge Sheet on the accused and will inform the defense counsel; no further amplification of that duty is articulated. Paragraph 81b likewise provides no specific guidance, either expressly or by implication, which imposes a requirement at a sentence rehearing to re-serve charges; it merely states that in a rehearing the procedure in general is the same as in any trial providing for logical omissions of specific portions of trial proceedings, impliedly excluding procedures to be followed during the pretrial phase.

We observe that the underlying purpose of the Code provision for an absolute right to a period of delay after service is to accord an accused protection against being tried too speedily. See A Bill to Enact and Establish a Uniform Code of Military Justice; Hearings on H.R. 2498 Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, 81st Cong., 1st Sess. 1012 (March 25, 1949). We see no possibility that that particular evil does or could exist under these circumstances. Appellant was served with charges on 5 December 1977 and found guilty in accordance with his pleas at his original trial, which concluded on 5 April 1978. Those findings have been affirmed on review. It is clear that appellant, having been served with a copy of the decision, was aware of the 20 April 1979 decision of this Court setting aside the sentence but affirming the findings. Appellant and his counsel both were furnished copies of the Supplementary General Court-Martial Order No. 4-79 dated 4 June 1979, which ordered a rehearing on the sentence pursuant to the convening authority’s Order dated 1 June 1979 appointing a general court-martial. Appellant did not assert a need for a continuance to further prepare his case as the basis for his objection to proceeding, but rather stood on a supposed statutory right. We are satisfied that no statutory right to an additional waiting period upon a rehearing exists.

II

Appellant’s second allegation of error stems from the military judge’s refusal to answer a number of questions on voir dire as to his qualification to sit on the rehearing. The military judge was the same judge who presided at the original trial. The basis for setting aside the sentence upon review of the first court-martial was that appellant was prejudiced by the military judge’s “erroneous restriction on voir dire.” United States v. Saxon, supra, 7 M.J. at 611.

The opinion, as dictum, also found objectionable, citing prior case holdings by this Court, the practice dictated by the Local Court Rules of the Southwest Judicial Circuit which reserved examination of prospective court members solely to the military judge. Unsuccessful objection to that procedure had been made at the original trial by defense counsel who also was serving as counsel at the rehearing.

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9 M.J. 948, 1980 CMR LEXIS 519, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-saxon-usnmcmilrev-1980.