United States v. Tempia

16 C.M.A. 629, 16 USCMA 629, 37 C.M.R. 249, 1967 CMA LEXIS 316, 1967 WL 4235
CourtUnited States Court of Military Appeals
DecidedApril 25, 1967
DocketNo. 19,815
StatusPublished
Cited by327 cases

This text of 16 C.M.A. 629 (United States v. Tempia) 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. Tempia, 16 C.M.A. 629, 16 USCMA 629, 37 C.M.R. 249, 1967 CMA LEXIS 316, 1967 WL 4235 (cma 1967).

Opinions

Opinion of the Court

FeRguson, Judge:

This case, certified-by the Judge Advocate General, United States Air Force, presents important questions concerning the administration of military justice. Basically, it inquires whether the principles enunciated by the Supreme Court in Miranda v Arizona, 384 US 436, 16 L ed 2d 694, 86 S Ct 1602 (1966), apply to military interrogations of criminal suspects. We hold that they do. As to cases tried on and after June 13, 1966, the doctrine set. forth in our earlier decision in United States v Wimberley, 16 USCMA 3, 36 CMR 159, has largely been set at naught by the Miranda decision.1

I

The accused was tried by general court-martial at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, and convicted of taking indecent liberties with females under the age of sixteen, in violation of Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 134, 10 USC § 934. He was sentenced to bad-conduct discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, confinement at hard labor for six months, and reduction. Intermediate appellate authorities affirmed, and the ease was, as indicated above, certified to this Court on the question:

“WAS THE BOARD OP REVIEW CORRECT IN ITS DETERMINATION THAT THE ACCUSED’S PRETRIAL STATEMENT WAS PROPERLY RECEIVED IN EVIDENCE?”

The accused’s trial commenced on June 14, 1966, one day after the effective date of applying the principles set forth in Miranda, supra. See Johnson v New Jersey, 384 US 719, 16 L ed 2d 882, 86 S Ct 1772 (1966). The testimony of the witnesses therein disclosed the following evidence.

On May 1, 1966, accused accompanied an Airman Keitel to the base library. Upon request, Keitel pointed out the location of the latrine. Ac[632]*632cused left Keitel in the reading room and returned in five or six minutes.

From other testimony, it appears he went to the ladies’ rest room, stood in its partially opened door, and made obscene proposals to three young girls. The victims left the library, returned with one of their parents and the Air Police, and pointed accused out in the reading room. Accused was asked “to come back to the office” by one of the policemen. He did so.

At the Air Police office, accused was advised by Agent Blessing that he was suspected of taking indecent liberties with children; of his rights under Code, supra, Article 31, 10 USC § 831; and “ ‘ “that you may consult with legal counsel if you desire.” ’ ” Agent McQuary assisted Agent Blessing in the interview. It was immediately terminated, as Tempia stated “ ‘he wanted counsel.’ ” He was released from custody.

On May 3, 1966, Tempia was again called to the “OSI Office” where he was once more advised by Blessing, in the presence of Agent Feczer, of his rights and entitlement to consult with counsel. Accused “ ‘stated he had not yet received legal counsel.’ ” Blessing thereupon called Major Norman K. Hogue, Base Staff Judge Advocate, and made an appointment for Tempia.

Blessing’s interview with Tempia terminated at 8:60 a.m., and the latter proceeded to Major Hogue’s office. Hogue informed him he was the Staff Judge Advocate and “that I could not accept an attorney-client relationship with him because if I did, it would dis-. qualify me from acting in my capacity as Staff Judge Advocate.” He further stated to Tempia that he would nevertheless “advise him of his' legal rights and explained to him that this was different than acting as his defense counsel in that I did not want to hear any of his story, but I would answer any legal questions he had after I explained some rights to him.”

Major Hogue also told accused he could not make a military lawyer available to him “as his- defense counsel during that OSI investigation,” but that he had the right to employ civilian counsel; would be given a reasonable time to do so; and that civilian counsel would be entitled to appear with him at the investigation. In addition, Hogue advised him of his rights under Code, supra, Article 31, and explained those rights to him, but:

“. . . As I say, I told him no military lawyer would be appointed to represent him during the OSI investigation or any investigation by the law enforcements agents on this base. I told him that if charges are preferred — in his case, referred to trial by special court-martial or general court-martial, where it’s referred to an investigation under Article 32b, he would be furnished a military lawyer at that time, one certified under Article 27b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”

In addition, accused filled out a written form in which it was indicated he had been advised:

a. That he had the right to retain civilian counsel at his own expense;
b. That no military lawyer would be appointed to represent him while under investigation by law enforcement agents;
c. That he would be furnished military counsel if charges were preferred and referred to trial or a pretrial investigation convened;
d. Of his rights under Code, supra, Article 31;
e. Of the maximum punishment involved; and,
f. That he had not discussed his guilt or innocence or any of the facts involved with Major Hogue.

Following his session with Major Hogue, Tempia returned to the Office of Special Investigations, at 9:24 a.m. He “was then called in . . . read-vised of -his rights, readvised of the nature of the investigation and of his rights to seek legal counsel the second time.” He stated he had consulted with Major Hogue, and did not desire further counsel as “they could not help him. . . . He said, ‘They didn’t do me no good.’ ” Thereafter, he was in[633]*633terrogated by Blessing and Feczer, to whom he began to dictate his confession.

At the trial, defense counsel sought exclusion of the statement on the basis of the Supreme Court decision in Miranda, supra, as he had found it reported in the press. The law officer overruled his timely objection and admitted Tempia’s confession in evidence.

II

The Judge Advocate General, United States Navy, has filed a brief amicus curiae in which it is urged that military law is in nowise affected by constitutional limitations and, in consequence, that the principles enunciated in Miranda v Arizona, supra, do not apply to the situation herein presented. The Government, however, takes a different tack. Conceding the application of the Constitution, it urges the Supreme Court has no supervisory power over military tribunals. Construing Miranda v Arizona, supra, as announcing only procedural devices designed to enforce a Constitutional right in the exercise of the Supreme Court’s supervisory power, it contends this Court is neither required to follow Miranda, supra, nor are its stringent formulae necessary or desirable in the administration of military justice. In this latter connection, it adverts to our decision in United States v Wimberley, supra, and points to the safeguards erected by Congress in Code, supra, Article 31.

Counsel for the accused and other a/micus curiae (who represented Miranda before the Supreme Court) disagree; point out that the decision in Miranda, supra, was one of constitutional dimensions; and, therefore, urge it is binding on military interrogations.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 C.M.A. 629, 16 USCMA 629, 37 C.M.R. 249, 1967 CMA LEXIS 316, 1967 WL 4235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-tempia-cma-1967.