United States v. Thompson

37 M.J. 1023, 1993 CMR LEXIS 354, 1993 WL 325105
U.S. Army Court of Military Review·Decided August 27, 1993·No. ACMR 9200511·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinions

OPINION OF THE COURT ON RECONSIDERATION

GONZALES, Judge:

Pursuant to his pleas, the appellant was found guilty, by a military judge sitting as a general court-martial, of three specifications of wrongful distribution of cocaine and one specification of wrongful use of cocaine, in violation of Article 112a, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 912a (1988) [hereinafter UCMJ]. The convening authority approved the adjudged sentence consisting of a dishonorable discharge, confinement for six years, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and reduction to Private El.

On appeal, the appellant asserted that the trial counsel’s argument on sentencing was racist and improper to such an extent that this court should set aside the sentence and order a rehearing. This court heard oral argument on 30 March 1993, and issued an opinion on 18 May 1993. The opinion was subsequently vacated upon our granting of a request for reconsideration by the government. This court, sitting en banc, finds that the trial counsel’s comments during his argument on sentencing were clearly racial in nature; that the issue was not waived by the trial defense counsel’s failure to object, because the unjustified interjection of race into the trial proceedings was “plain error”; and that such an error seriously affected the fairness, integrity, and public reputation of the appellant’s court-martial. Accordingly, we hold that a rehearing on sentencing is warranted.

[1025] During his argument on sentencing, the trial counsel made the following statement concerning the appellant’s predisposition to commit the drug offenses:

Was he predisposed to do this? The government says, “Yes.” This is in his background somewhere. This is his attraction to it. It is his nice car. It is that stereotypic view of what the good life is, Boyz in the Hood — drug dealing— sorry to say, the black male and the black population. But nevertheless, it is that look, it is that gold chain, it is that nice car that epitomizes a successful individual.

The trial defense counsel did not object to the racial comments and the military judge did not sua sponte stop or, at the conclusion of the trial counsel’s argument, indicate that he would disregard these specific remarks. He did, however, note another error in the trial counsel’s argument and stated on the record that he would not consider those remarks.1

In her post-trial submissions to the convening authority, pursuant to Rule for Courts-Martial 1106 [hereinafter R.C.M.], the trial defense counsel noted that the staff judge advocate’s recommendation failed to address “highly prejudicial and racially inflammatory remarks made by the trial counsel during [his] sentencing argument.” She requested clemency for the appellant in the form of a “reduction in the confinement and from the stigma of a dishonorable discharge.” The staff judge advocate’s addendum to his recommendation stated that, in his view, the “trial counsel’s argument, however inartful, was not intended to be and should not be viewed as racist.” He further stated that, “[e]ven if the argument was erroneous, it did not prejudice a substantial right of the accused.” In his opinion, the adjudged sentence was appropriate for the offenses committed and should be approved as it did not exceed the terms of the pretrial agreement.2 The convening authority’s memorandum in response to the foregoing indicated that he considered the staff judge advocate’s recommendation and addendum, the trial defense counsel’s response, and thé appellant’s petition for clemency before he took action.

While we doubt that the trial counsel intended for his remarks to be racist, that was clearly the result. The trial defense counsel should have objected. Failure to object to the propriety of a trial counsel’s argument constitutes waiver of the issue on appeal, unless the error is “plain error.” United States v. McPhaul, 22 M.J. 808, 813 (A.C.M.R.1986), pet. denied, 23 M.J. 266 (C.M.A.1986); United States v. Carroll, 34 M.J. 843, 844 (A.C.M.R.1992); R.C.M. 1001(g). Therefore, before this court can consider the assignment of error, we must first determine whether the error was “plain error.”

Judge Cox, in writing for the Court of Military Appeals, has indicated that to constitute “plain error,” the error must not only be both obvious and substantial, it must also have had an unfair prejudicial impact. United States v. Fisher, 21 M.J. 327, 328-29 (C.M.A.1986) (citing United States v. Young, 470 U.S. 1, 15, 105 S.Ct. 1038, 1046, 84 L.Ed.2d 1 (1985)); United States v. Edwards, 35 M.J. 351, 355 (C.M.A.1992); see United States v. Smith, 34 M.J. 894, 896 (N.M.C.M.R.1992). For an error to rise to the level of “plain error,” the matter complained of must also “seriously affect the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.” United States v. Young, 470 U.S. 1, 15, 105 [1026] S.Ct. 1038, 1046, 84 L.Ed.2d 1 (1985) (citing United States v. Atkinson, 297 U.S. 157, 160, 56 S.Ct. 391, 392, 80 L.Ed. 555 (1936)); United States v. Doe, 903 F.2d 16, 26 (D.C.Cir.1990); United States v. Fisher, 21 M.J. at 328. Plain error may exist if the error requires appellate intervention to (1) prevent “a miscarriage of justice,” or (2) preserve “the reputation and integrity of the courts,” or (3) protect “a fundamental right of the accused.” United States v. Beaudion, 11 M.J. 838, 840 (A.C.M.R.1981) (citing United States v. Sims, 617 F.2d 1371, 1378 (9th Cir.1980), and United States v. Kilbum, 596 F.2d 928, 935 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 966, 99 S.Ct. 1517, 59 L.Ed.2d 782 (1979)).

The military rule for “plain error”, as described above in Fisher, is substantially the same as the federal rule under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 52(b). Recently, the Supreme Court, in United States v. Olano, — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993), clarified the federal rule for “plain error” review. Justice O’Connor stated that for “plain error” to exist under Rule 52(b), “[tjhere must be an ‘error’ that is ‘plain’ and that ‘affect[sj substantial rights.’ ” Id. — U.S. at-, 113 S.Ct. at 1776. The Court also stated that Rule 52(b) “leaves the decision to correct the ... error within the sound discretion of the Court of Appeals, and th[at] court[s] should not exercise that discretion unless the error [also] ‘seriously affeet[s] the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.’ ” Id. (citing Young, 470 U.S. at 15, 105 S.Ct. at 1046, and Atkinson, 297 U.S. at 160, 56 S.Ct. at 392).

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United States v. Thompson, 37 M.J. 1023, 1993 CMR LEXIS 354, 1993 WL 325105 (usarmymilrev 1993).

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