United States v. Wuterich

66 M.J. 685, 2008 CCA LEXIS 218, 2008 WL 2468711
CourtNavy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedJune 20, 2008
DocketNMCCA 200800183
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 66 M.J. 685 (United States v. Wuterich) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal 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. Wuterich, 66 M.J. 685, 2008 CCA LEXIS 218, 2008 WL 2468711 (N.M. 2008).

Opinion

PUBLISHED OPINION OF THE COURT

FELTHAM, Senior Judge:

This case is before us on a Government interlocutory appeal, pursuant to Article 62, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 862, and Rule for Courts-Martial 908, Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (2008 ed.). The Government contends that the military judge erred as a matter of law when he quashed a Government subpoena for videotape and other material owned by CBS Broadcasting Inc. (“CBS”), which material purportedly includes several hours of an interview conducted by a CBS News correspondent with Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Wuterich, here the nominal appellee. We have carefully considered the record of the proceedings, the Government’s brief on appeal, and non-party CBS’s reply brief. We conclude that the military judge abused his discretion in quashing the Government subpoena on the basis that the requested evidence was cumulative, without first conducting an to camera review of the evidence.

Background

The nominal appellee (hereinafter, appellee) is charged, inter alia, with dereliction of duty and the voluntary manslaughter of 14 Iraqi men, women, and children, at or near Haditha, Iraq, in the aftermath of a roadside bombing that killed a Marine in the appellee’s convoy. After being charged, the appellee participated in an interview with Mr. Scott Pelley, a CBS News correspondent. This interview led to the production of a 60 Minutes broadcast segment. During the broadcast, the appellee described what happened during the bombing of his convoy and its aftermath, including the circumstances under which the civilians were killed. The Government issued a subpoena for “any and all video and/or audio tape(s), to include outtakes and raw footage” of appellee’s interview with Mr. Pelley. CBS provided the publicly broadcast footage, but, citing a “news-gathering” privilege under the First Amendment, declined to provide any audio-video material that had not been broadcast, including out-takes. CBS then moved to quash the subpoena. After reviewing the broadcast 60 Minutes segment, the military judge found that it was “clearly” relevant [687]*687and material. However, without having viewed the material that had not been broadcast, the military judge concluded that it was not necessary because it was cumulative of written statements submitted to the court for consideration on the motion, and of other information available to the Government. The military judge granted CBS’s motion to quash. The Government responded with this interlocutory appeal.

Jurisdiction

We begin with a discussion of our authority to decide this matter. CBS argues that the decision to quash the subpoena is not an evidentiary ruling that excludes evidence and, therefore, does not fall within our jurisdiction to review under Article 62(a)(1)(B), UCMJ. We disagree.

Article 62(a)(1)(B), UCMJ, confers upon this court jurisdiction over Government appeals from orders or rulings by a military judge, presiding at a court-martial which may adjudge a punitive discharge, that, inter alia, “exclude[ ] evidence that is substantial proof of a fact material to the proceeding.” The opinions of our superior court interpreting Article 62, as well as the legislative history of that statute, establish that “Article 62 was intended by Congress to be interpreted and applied in the same manner as the [federal] Criminal Appeals Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3731.” United States v. Brooks, 42 M.J. 484, 486 (C.A.A.F.1995). See United States v. Lincoln, 42 M.J. 315, 320 (C.A.A.F.1995). In other words, Article 62 ensures that the Government has the same opportunity to appeal adverse trial rulings that the prosecution has in federal civilian criminal proceedings. United States v. Lopez de Victoria, 66 M.J. 67, 71 (C.A.A.F.2008). The federal Criminal Appeals Act permits the United States to appeal orders “suppressing or excluding” evidence in criminal eases where “the evidence is a substantial proof of a fact material in the proceeding.” 18 U.S.C. § 3731. There is no military case law addressing whether the Government may appeal a decision of the military judge to quash a Government subpoena issued to a non-party. There is significant case law from Article III Courts that have interpreted and applied 18 U.S.C. § 3731. Since Article 62, UCMJ, is intended to parallel that statute, we may look to the federal courts for guidance in interpreting our jurisdictional authority.

Article III courts have broadly construed the scope of 18 U.S.C. § 3731 by utilizing an “effects” test.1 This test focuses on the effect of a court order or ruling rather than its facial categorization or title. United States v. Margiotta, 662 F.2d 131 (2d Cir. 1981); United States v. Humphries, 636 F.2d 1172, 1175 (9th Cir.1980). In United States v. Smith, 135 F.3d 963 (5th Cir.1998), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit was presented with a Government appeal in which the facts and issues were almost identical to those in the case at bar. In Smith, the United States sought a subpoena for the production of a videotaped interview of a criminal defendant conducted by a local television station. That television station moved to quash the subpoena on First Amendment grounds, claiming a “news reporter’s privilege.” The district court quashed the subpoena, and the Government appealed. In concluding it had jurisdiction to decide the matter, the Fifth Circuit held that § 3731 “provides the government with as broad a right to appeal as the Constitution will permit.” Smith, 135 F.3d at 967 (citing [688]*688United States v. Wilson, 420 U.S. 332, 337, 95 S.Ct. 1013, 43 L.Ed.2d 232 (1975)). The court of appeals specifically found it had jurisdiction pursuant to the federal statute because the district court order quashing the subpoena effectively “ ‘suppresses or excludes evidence’ ... in a criminal proceeding” in which “the relevant United States Attorney ‘certifies to the district court that the appeal is not taken for purpose of delay and that the evidence is substantial proof of a fact material in the proceeding in a criminal proceeding.’ ” Id.

Though there is a difference in the wording of Article 62, UCMJ, and its federal civilian counterpart, we find no discernible difference between the effect of the term “suppress” and the term “exclude” as applied to evidence; the effect of both is to deprive the Government of the evidence sought, and its use at trial. More importantly, to limit our jurisdiction based on this minor difference in terms would create a significant discrepancy between when jurisdiction vests in the Article III courts of appeal and in the military appellate courts — a result that would clearly be contrary to the intent of Congress.

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Related

United States v. Wuterich
68 M.J. 511 (Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, 2009)
United States v. Wuterich
67 M.J. 63 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2008)

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Bluebook (online)
66 M.J. 685, 2008 CCA LEXIS 218, 2008 WL 2468711, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-wuterich-nmcca-2008.