United States v. Toohey

63 M.J. 353, 2006 CAAF LEXIS 995, 2006 WL 2332931
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Armed Forces
DecidedAugust 9, 2006
Docket05-0127/MC
StatusPublished
Cited by525 cases

This text of 63 M.J. 353 (United States v. Toohey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Toohey, 63 M.J. 353, 2006 CAAF LEXIS 995, 2006 WL 2332931 (Ark. 2006).

Opinions

Judge ERDMANN

delivered the opinion of the court.

Staff Sergeant Jeffery G. Toohey entered a not guilty plea to rape and assault consummated by a battery in violation of Articles 120 and 128, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. §§ 920, 928 (2000). He was convicted by a panel composed of officer and enlisted members and was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, confinement for twelve years, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and reduction to the lowest enlisted grade.1 The convening authority approved the sentence, and the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the findings and sentence. United States v. Toohey, 60 M.J. 703, 720 (N.M.Ct.Crim.App.2004). We granted review of one issue and specified three additional issues.2

[356]*356Prior to affirming a case in which there has been constitutional error, a reviewing court must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the error was harmless. Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967). Although the Court of Criminal Appeals found that the military judge erred in his ruling that defense witnesses on Toohey’s character for peacefulness could be questioned about whether they were aware Toohey was facing separate child pornography charges, that court found the error to be harmless. Toohey, 60 M.J. at 717. Toohey asserts that the military judge committed error of constitutional dimension and that the Court of Criminal Appeals erred in not testing this error under the constitutional “harmless beyond a reasonable doubt” standard. We find that evidence of Toohey’s character for peacefulness was not so material to the defense as to be constitutionally required. The Court of Criminal Appeals utilized the proper test for harmlessness and correctly found that the error was harmless.

Convicted servicemembers have a constitutional due process right to a timely review and appeal of courts-martial convictions. Diaz v. The Judge Advocate General of the Navy, 59 M.J. 34, 37-38 (C.A.A.F.2003). Toohey asserts that he was denied due process because there was unreasonable and unexplained delay in the 2,240 days between the end of his trial and the date upon which the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals rendered a decision in his case. We hold that Toohey was denied his due process right to speedy post-trial and appellate review.

BACKGROUND

A. Character evidence of peacefulness.

The initial charges brought against Toohey included rape, assault consummated by a battery, adultery, receiving stolen property, and two specifications relating to child pornography. Upon defense motion, the charges relating to receiving stolen property and child pornography were severed and tried separately. The instant case proceeded on the offenses alleging sexual misconduct. At trial, the defense moved to prevent the child pornography and severed charges from being used to impeach defense character witnesses for good military character and for peacefulness. The military judge ruled that the child pornography could be used as a basis to impeach good military character witnesses and the defense counsel stated that he did not dispute that ruling. As to potential character witnesses on peacefulness, the military judge ruled that the matter of possessing child pornography could be inquired into on cross-examination as impeachment. Specifically, the military judge stated:

[Tjhere are a series of photographs that are in the Article 32 that obviously would be attached to the record from the standpoint of the Article 32. They are color photographs, and they depict rather graphically sodomy with young children from age 10 purportedly up through 16 or so.
There are some that are more egregious than others. Specifically Investigative Exhibit 19, photograph J, which depicts a purported 14 year-old being anally sodomized and that conduct depicted in those pictures is non consensual as a matter of law conduct; and, therefore, if the defense was to put on a character for peaceableness, that would open the door for impeachment in that area.

The military judge later added, “I would allow that because it’s the specific non consensual aspects of those sexual act[s] that [357]*357would be what defeats the peaceableness issue.” Civilian defense counsel proffered that but for the ruling the defense would have presented “six or seven witnesses who would testify that the accused is a peaceful person, military and civilian witnesses who know him well.” The defense did not present these witnesses on Toohey’s character for peacefulness.

The Court of Criminal Appeals ruled the military judge abused his discretion in allowing the child pornography to be available to impeach Toohey’s character witnesses for peacefulness. Toohey, 60 M.J. at 717. The court found the child pornography irrelevant and, even if marginally relevant, the court concluded it would have been far more prejudicial than probative. Id. The Court of Criminal Appeals then tested this error for prejudice and found none. Id. at 717-18.

B. Speedy post-trial review and, appeal.

Toohey was sentenced on August 13, 1998. On June 28, 1999, the military judge authorized substitute authentication of the record of trial, and trial counsel authenticated the record on August 27, 1999, 379 days after trial. On May 18, 2000, 644 days after trial, the convening authority took action. The case was received at the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals on October 11, 2000 and docketed at that court on October 26, 2000, 805 days after trial.

The Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals granted eleven motions for enlargement of time to Toohey’s appellate defense attorney before the defense brief was filed on March 28,2002 (1,323 days after trial and 518 days after docketing). The Government filed an answer brief on December 6, 2002 (1,576 days after trial and 253 days from submission of Toohey’s brief). Toohey filed a reply brief on February 6, 2003 (1,638 days after trial). The Court of Criminal Appeals issued a published opinion on September 30, 2004 (601 days after the completion of briefing). Six years, one month and seventeen days (2,240 days) elapsed between the completion of trial and the completion of Toohey’s appeal of right under Article 66, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 866 (2000).

DISCUSSION

Toohey claims the military judge’s ruling that prevented him from presenting evidence of his character for peacefulness was an error of constitutional magnitude and that the Court of Criminal Appeals should have utilized the constitutional “harmless beyond a reasonable doubt” standard to test the effect of that error. Toohey asserts that under the correct standard, the error could not have been found harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. The Government responds that Toohey’s argument on prejudice is speculative and that the error did not have a substantial influence on the findings.3

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 M.J. 353, 2006 CAAF LEXIS 995, 2006 WL 2332931, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-toohey-armfor-2006.