United States v. Williams

34 M.J. 919, 1992 CMR LEXIS 339, 1992 WL 63018
CourtU.S. Army Court of Military Review
DecidedMarch 27, 1992
DocketACMR 9001812
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 34 M.J. 919 (United States v. Williams) 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. Williams, 34 M.J. 919, 1992 CMR LEXIS 339, 1992 WL 63018 (usarmymilrev 1992).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

CREAN, Senior Judge;

The appellant was found guilty, contrary to his pleas, by a general court-martial composed of enlisted members, of rape and false swearing in violation of Articles 120 and 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 920 and 934 (1982) [hereinafter UCMJ]. The appellant was initially sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, confinement for 10 years, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and reduction to Private El.

After the initial trial, the trial defense counsel discovered new information about the victim of the rape, SPC W. The military judge held a post-trial Article 39(a), UCMJ, session to determine whether the new evidence required a new trial. United States v. Scaff, 29 M.J. 60 (C.M.A.1989). The military judge determined that the new evidence would not have been admissible [920]*920during the findings portion of the trial and would not have affected the findings of guilty. However, he further determined that the new evidence would affect the sentence portion of the trial. The convening authority set aside the initial sentence and ordered a rehearing on sentence only. The appellant was sentenced by a military judge to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for 54 months, and forfeiture of $500.00 pay per month for 54 months. The convening authority approved the sentence.

The appellant asserts two assignments of error. First, he asserts that the evidence is not legally and factually sufficient for the findings of guilty of rape. Secondly, he asserts that he should have been given a new trial based on the newly discovered evidence.

On 29 March 1990, the appellant and SPC W were on duty as assistant charge of quarters (ACQ) for their headquarters unit.1 The ACQ duty for the appellant was in one building and SPC W’s ACQ duty place was in the next building. As part of his duties, the appellant would go and check on SPC W. About 2400 hours on 20 March 1990, the appellant went to check on the victim, rang the bell, and she let him into the building. Both the appellant and the victim agree that sexual intercourse took place at that time. However, SPC W said that it was without her consent while the appellant claimed the intercourse was consensual.

SPC W testified that after she let the appellant into her duty area, he grabbed her and tried to kiss her. She stated that the appellant pulled her against her will into the hallway, and pushed her against the wall where he began to kiss her and place his tongue in her mouth, while at the same time trying to unbutton her pants. She told the appellant she had to use the latrine and he released her. She entered a bathroom stall and locked the door. She waited a few minutes and then ran out of the latrine, but the appellant was standing by the door so he grabbed her and pulled her into the shower room. Once inside the shower room, the appellant pulled her pants down, got on top of her, and had sexual intercourse with her despite her best efforts to resist him. She testified that she did not scream for help,2 or try to scare appellant, nor did she bite, kick, or punch him. She did not state what happened thereafter or how they parted company. Additionally, there was no evidence of her battle dress uniform (BDU) being torn or damaged and no evidence of physical injury.

SPC W further testified that the appellant returned again during the night to relieve her so she could get some sleep. The charge of quarters (CQ), Sergeant B, testified that the victim never said anything to him about appellant trying to kiss, assault, or rape her. He testified that she did not appear to be upset, distressed, or depressed. She was allowed to sleep for a few hours and then return to her duty area. The only questions she had of him was to inquire if she could have a television or radio in the CQ area the next time she had duty. SPC W did not report the incident until the next day when she talked to her friend, a female noncommissioned officer. There was evidence that SPC W did not report the rape until she heard the next day that the appellant told members of the unit that “he had taken something” from SPC W that night. The comment of the appellant was understood to mean that he had sexual relations with SPC W.

The appellant testified that after the victim let him into the duty area, she placed her head down on the desk, and he started to massage her shoulders. SPC W told him that the massage felt good and they began to engage in small talk. The appellant stated that SPC W stood up and started to hold the appellant and rub against him. While in the embrace, they began to kiss and walked into the hallway. SPC W said she had to use the latrine and so he [921]*921returned to the CQ area. After SPC W returned from the latrine, they again started hugging and kissing and rubbed against each other. They moved into the shower room where they unbuttoned their pants and pulled them down. Appellant testified that SPC W laid down on the floor and they began having sexual intercourse. SPC W thought she heard someone coming so she asked the appellant to stop. Appellant testified that he stopped, used the latrine, and they both returned to the CQ area. The next time he saw SPC W was approximately 0330 hours when he relieved her so she could get some sleep.

The test for factual sufficiency is whether, after weighing the evidence in the record of trial and making allowances for not having personally observed the witnesses, this Court is itself convinced of appellant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Article 66(c), UCMJ; United States v. Turner, 25 M.J. 324 (C.M.A.1987). The test for legal sufficiency is whether, considering the evidence in a light most favorable to the government, the trier of fact could rationally find the existence of every element of the offenses beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). Using these standards, we find that the evidence is both factually and legally sufficient to sustain the findings of guilty of rape.

We now turn to the consideration of the newly discovered evidence. The newly discovered evidence concerns SPC M, a soldier with whom the victim, SPC W, was having a sexual relationship.

In the post-trial Article 39(a), UCMJ, session, SPC M testified under a grant of immunity that he and SPC W began a sexual relationship in March 1990 and it continued after the alleged rape by the appellant. He engaged in sexual intercourse with SPC W either the day before or the day after the alleged rape by appellant. SPC M testified that SPC W was “just basically someone to have sex with.”

During the first week of May 1990, SPC W attempted suicide by taking an overdose of pills. SPC W testified that her relationship with SPC M had nothing to do with the attempted suicide, even though SPC M had told her three to four days prior to the attempted suicide that they had to limit their relationship. She testified that she also agreed they must limit their relationship. From the discussion of a break-up until the suicide attempt, SPC W and SPC M did not engage in sexual intercourse. However, they did resume sexual activities after the suicide attempt.

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Related

United States v. Williams
37 M.J. 352 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 M.J. 919, 1992 CMR LEXIS 339, 1992 WL 63018, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-williams-usarmymilrev-1992.