United States v. Temperley

22 C.M.A. 383
CourtUnited States Court of Military Appeals
DecidedJune 29, 1973
DocketNo. 26,648
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 22 C.M.A. 383 (United States v. Temperley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Military Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Temperley, 22 C.M.A. 383 (cma 1973).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Darden, Chief Judge:

The object of our review here is the use, in a trial for desertion, of the accused’s responses to questions about his identity without his having been warned of his rights to counsel and against self-incrimination in compliance with United States v Tempia, 16 USCMA 629, 37 CMR 249 (1967).

The responses in issue occurred against this background. Albert Sayers, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specialized in looking for persons unlawfully absent from the military service. The accused absented himself without leave on August 27, 1967, and, in October 1967, the Department of the Navy sought the FBI’s assistance. In October 1971, FBI Headquarters notified its Los Angeles office of the receipt from the Los Angeles Police Department of the accused’s fingerprints under the name of John Charles Rose, with an address in Woodland Hills, California. After reviewing Rose’s police record and securing his picture from the Los An-geles County sheriff’s office, Agent Sayers and two other agents went to the address in Woodland Hills. At the scene, the three agents watched the home for more than an hour. During this time they saw a teen-age girl enter and leave the residence. Questioning her, they [384]*384learned that her father was named John Rose, that he was at work, and that he should be driving home soon. As darkness approached, Agent Sayers and one of the other agents knocked on the door while the third agent remained in the car. A man answered the door.

Agent Sayers testified in the following manner about what then happened:

A: Well, when he opened the door, I said "Mr. Rose”. He said "Yes”. I identified myself by name and by official credentials, and in addition Mr. Fender identified himself. I then asked him "Mr. John Charles Rose”, and he said "Yes”. I told him the purpose of our call. By this time we were moving into the hallway of the house, just inside the door. Ah, now, as soon as we got inside the door I asked him what his true name was, and he told me that it was John Charles Temperley.
Q: Mr. Sayers, where, were the initial words spoken? What was the exact physical location of yourself and, ah, PFC Temperley?
A: Well, I . . . when I approached and knocked on the door, he answered the door. The, the, ah, initial introduction was while he was standing in the doorway, and I was outside the doorway. I think that I might have had my foot on the door sill.
Q: What was the purpose in your own mind of asking the initial question while you were standing outside and PFC Temperley was standing inside? What was the purpose of this in your mind?
A: Well, to determine whether this was the person that, ah, I was looking for ... to be sure that this was the person I was looking for. I had seen older pictures of him during the course of the investigation. Then I had seen the photograph of him obtained from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office. When he came to the door, I looked at him to be sure in my own mind that this was the same person that I’d seen photographs of, and, if so, then he was the person that I was looking for, and I was going to arrest him.
Q: What clothing, if any, was the accused wearing?
A: At the time he was wearing civilian clothing.
Q: Describe exactly what happened after the initial conversation that you mentioned?
A: Well, we went on inside. I told him that he was under arrest. I told him that he was not required to make any statement or answer any questions. I told him what he was under arrest for. I told him that anything he said could be used against him in a court of law or court-martial. I told him that he had the right to the presence and services of an attorney at all times during all stages of the proceedings and before answering any questions, and if he couldn’t afford a lawyer, one would be hired for him. I told him that if he wanted to waive those rights and answer questions, that he could stop any time he wanted to. I asked him at each stage of these advices if he understood, and he said "Yes”.
Q: And, ah, did you ask him whether or not he would elect to waive those rights?
A: Well, I told him that if he wanted to waive those rights and answer questions, that it was all right, but he could quit at any time he wanted to.

On cross-examination, Agent Sayers admitted that he had good reason to believe the man who opened the door was Temperley.

On direct examination with members present, Agent Sayers testified:

Q: What was your purpose in asking the questions concerning the name "Rose”? Could you testify to that?
A: Well, I wanted to make sure that I was, ah, that the person I was looking for lived there. I had information to the fact that John Charles Rose lived there, ah, and if my information was correct he was identical with John Charles Temperley. I didn’t expect to see him when I knocked on the door. Ah, prior investigation had indicated that he was probably not at home. Ah, I was somewhat taken aback when he answered the door . . . my knock at the door. When I saw him, I didn’t immediately recognize him, but it [385]*385wasn’t but a matter of seconds before I did, and I asked him "Mr. Rose”, it was merely a matter of greeting actually, "Mr. Rose”, "Yes”, "John Charles Rose”, "Yes”, and then I identified myself and told him what we were there for.
Q: Now, what happened after this initial conversation?
A: Well, we went inside into the very beginning of the hallway right by the kitchen door. I asked him his true name, and he said "John Charles Tem-perley”. I said "Well, it’s about time you get back to the Marine Corps, isn’t it”, and he said "Yes”. I placed him under arrest and advised him of certain constitutional rights that he had, including I told him that he didn’t have to make any statement, that any statement that he did make could be used against him in court or a court-martial. I told him that he had the right to have a lawyer with him at all stages of the proceedings and before he answered any questions, that if he couldn’t afford a lawyer one would be hired for him, that if he wanted to waive these rights and answer questions and talk to us it would be all right, and he could quit any time he wanted to. Ah, during this conversation I placed the handcuffs on him. I gave him, ah, a pat-down or what we call a shake-down for weapons and other property he may have had in his possession. During the time this was occurring a woman came into our presence. She was identified by Tem-perley as his wife, and she identified herself as his wife, as Mrs. Rose.

Counsel for the accused objected three times to the prosecution’s use of the accused’s responses, first at an Article 39(a) session, again during the presentation of the case to the court members, and later in the form of a motion to strike. On all three occasions, the military judge denied the defense motions.

The Navy Court of Military Review addressed itself to the issue and decided that the responses were made "only as a preliminary to taking the appellant into custody.” United States v Temperley, NCM 72-1817 (NCMR, December 8, 1972).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Jordan
35 M.J. 856 (U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 C.M.A. 383, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-temperley-cma-1973.