United States v. Shy

10 M.J. 582, 1980 CMR LEXIS 483
CourtU.S. Army Court of Military Review
DecidedNovember 4, 1980
DocketCM 439204
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 10 M.J. 582 (United States v. Shy) 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. Shy, 10 M.J. 582, 1980 CMR LEXIS 483 (usarmymilrev 1980).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

JONES, Senior Judge:

The appellant was convicted of possessing heroin in violation of Article 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 934. He was sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement at hard labor for 15 months, forfeiture of $350.00 per month for 15 months, and reduction to Private E-1. [583]*583The convening authority approved the sentence. Several assigned errors require discussion in this review pursuant to Article 66, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 866.

I

The appellant maintains the court-martial lacked jurisdiction over him because he was retained in the Army beyond his term of service over his objection for the purpose of prosecution. This retention he asserts, “violated the Thirteenth Amendment’s proscription of involuntary servitude.” We disagree.

The Thirteenth Amendment is inapplicable to service in the military. The amendment “was intended to abolish only the well-known forms of slavery and involuntary servitude akin thereto, and not to destroy the power of the Government to compel a citizen to render public service. Butler v. Perry, 240 U.S. 328, 332 [36 S.Ct. 258, 259, 60 L.Ed. 672] (1916).” Selective Draft Law Cases, 245 U.S. 366, 373, 38 S.Ct. 159, 62 L.Ed. 349 (1918).

Court-Martial jurisdiction over servicemen is based upon Article 2(1), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 802, which provides:

§ 802. Art. 2. Persons subject to this Chapter.
The following persons are. subject to [the Uniform Code of Military Justice]:
(1) Members of a regular component of the armed forces, including those awaiting discharge after expiration of their terms of enlistment....

When appellant enlisted on 27 July 1976, he became subject to court-martial jurisdiction and that jurisdiction continued after his enlistment expired until the formalities of discharge were taken. United States v. Klung, 3 U.S.C.M.A. 92, 11 C.M.R. 92 (1952).

The rule concerning trial of a serviceman after the expiration of his term of service is presently stated in paragraph lid, Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, 1969 (Revised edition):

d. Effect of termination of term of service. Jurisdiction having attached by commencement of action with a view to trial-as by apprehension, arrest, confinement, or filing of charges-continues for all purposes at trial, sentence, and punishment. If action is initiated with a view to trial because of an offense committed by an individual before his official discharge-even though the term of enlistment may have expired-he may be retained in the service for trial to be held after his period of service would otherwise have expired.

The purpose of the rule was stated in United States v. Calley, 46 C.M.R. 1131 (A.C.M.R.1973):

The reason for the rule is clear and can best be stated negatively. If no such rule existed, enforcement of military law would not be possible as to offenses committed or discovered shortly before one’s scheduled date of separation. 46 C.M.R. at 1142.

In the instant case, as charges were preferred on 16 July 1979, ten days prior to the expiration of appellant’s enlistment, jurisdiction continued beyond the enlistment for purpose of the trial. United States v. Hutchins, 4 M.J. 190 (C.M.A.1978); United States v. Torres, 3 M.J. 659 (A.C.M.R.1977).

The appellant complains that a new review and action is needed because the staff judge advocate did not advise the convening authority of this jurisdictional issue, either in his initial review or in a further comment after the defense counsel had submitted his rebuttal to the review. Again we disagree. The staff judge advocate has discretion as to the content of his review and he did not abuse his discretion in ignoring the issue. Similarly, no response was required simply because the defense counsel raised the matter in his rebuttal. The law on this jurisdictional point is too well-settled to merit special comment. Cf. United States v. Rodriguez, 9 M.J. 829 (A.C.M.R. 1980).

II

The appellant alleged that he was denied his right to a speedy trial as a result [584]*584of a 127 day delay between preferral of charges and date of trial. The appellant was under no form of restraint during the period. Therefore, the question of whether his right was violated must be measured under the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution rather than under the more strict Articles 10 and 33, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 810, 833, or the even more restrictive, two-faceted, Burton

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Bluebook (online)
10 M.J. 582, 1980 CMR LEXIS 483, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-shy-usarmymilrev-1980.