Waller v. United States

461 F.2d 1273, 198 Ct. Cl. 908, 1972 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 88
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJune 16, 1972
DocketNo. 392-70
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 461 F.2d 1273 (Waller v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Waller v. United States, 461 F.2d 1273, 198 Ct. Cl. 908, 1972 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 88 (cc 1972).

Opinion

Per Curiam :

This case was referred to Trial Commissioner Mastín G. White with directions to make findings of fact and recommendation for conclusions of law under the order of reference and Eule 134(h). The commissioner has done so in an opinion and report filed on March 14,1972. Plaintiff has filed no exceptions to or brief on this report and the time for [910]*910so filing pursuant to the Buies of the court has expired. On May 1,1972, defendant filed a motion for judgment, moving that the court adopt the commissioner’s opinion, findings of fact and recommended conclusion of law as the basis for its judgment in the case. Since the court agrees with the commissioner’s opinion, findings of fact and recommended conclusion of law, as hereinafter set forth, it hereby adopts the same as the basis for its judgment in this case without oral argument. Therefore, plaintiff is not entitled to recover and the petition is dismissed.

OPINION OE COMMISSIONER

White, Oommissioner: The plaintiff, a career airman in the Air Force, was honorably discharged effective November 13,1964,1 after having served in the Air Force for a total of 18 years, 4 months, and 23 days. The discharge of November 13, 1964, was accomplished by the Air Force administratively, and contrary to the wishes of the plaintiff, at a time when the plaintiff still had 1 year, 7 months, and 18 days to serve under his final enlistment, which was for a 5-year term that began on July 2,1961.

In the present action, the plaintiff seeks (as a minimum recovery) “a sum of money equal to the amount of pay and allowances he would have been entitled to had he remained a member of the United States Air Force from the date of his discharge until the end of his then current enlistment * *

It is my opinion that the plaintiff is not entitled to recover.

The plaintiff’s difficulties with the Air Force began in May of 1964, when he was stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Travis County, Texas. On May 13, 1964, the plaintiff was taken into custody by a Travis County Deputy Sheriff after he had been accused of having exposed himself indecently in the sight of two women, Mrs. Annie Mae Brown and Mrs. Ethel Walker, while they were fishing in the Colorado Eiver at a point near the bridge which carries Highway 973 across the river.

[911]*911The deputy sheriff interrogated the plaintiff while he was under arrest and obtained from him a written statement which contained the following incriminating admission:

* * * Previous to today I have been fishing on the Colorado River near the bridge on Highway 973 between Hwy 71 and Manor, Texas. Several times while here I saw a colored woman or colored women on the opposite bank of the river. On numerous occasions I have stripped off ail my clothing and exhibited myself to them. Several times I shook my penis at them. The woman or women always ignored this, apparently and kept fishing. I suppose I have done this 10 times in the past iy2 years. * * *

The Travis County Sheriff’s Department also took written statements in affidavit form from Mrs. Annie Mae Brown and Mrs. Ethel Walker concerning the plaintiff’s conduct.2 According to Mrs. Brown’s affidavit, the plaintiff had indecently exposed himself in her sight on several occasions when she had been fishing near the Highway 973 bridge across the Colorado River.

The Travis County authorities did not prosecute the plaintiff for the alleged offense of indecent exposure. However, they informed the military authorities at Bergstrom Air Force Base regarding the complaint that had been made against the plaintiff, and they turned over to the military authorities the written statements that were taken from the plaintiff and from the other persons who were present at the scene of the alleged offense on May 13,1964.

Subsequently, in October 1964, the plaintiff’s unit commander instituted against him administrative proceedings to determine whether the plaintiff should be separated from the Air Force under the provisions of paragraph 4b of Air Force Regulation 39-17. That regulation prescribed a procedure, which included a hearing before a board of officers, for the discharge of airmen because of unfitness. Paragraph 4b of AFR 39-17 provided in part that an airman was subject to discharge under the regulation for “Sexual perversion, including but not limited to * * * (4) indecent exposure * *

[912]*912A bearing relative to the plaintiff’s case was beld before a board of officers at Bergstrom Air Force Base on. October 21, 1964. An Air Force officer represented the plaintiff as counsel, in accordance with the plaintiff’s previously expressed wish. The written statements which the Travis County Sheriff’s Department had taken from the plaintiff and from Mrs. Annie Mae Brown were received in evidence by the board of officers, along with other documentary exhibits and oral testimony from the plaintiff and from a number of other witnesses who testified in behalf of the plaintiff.

In his testimony before the board of officers, the plaintiff, in effect, admitted the wrongdoing of which he had been accused, but he expressed a strong desire to remain in the military service. The plaintiff justified his request for retention in the service on the basis of his more than 18 years of service and his previous excellent record. A number of members of the Air Force also testified in support of the plaintiff’s request that he be retained in the military service'. Such testimony emphasized the plaintiff’s high technical qualifications, his excellent record, and his value to the military service.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the board of officers found (on the basis of the plaintiff’s written admission, as supplemented by Mrs. Brown’s affidavit and the plaintiff’s oral admission before the board) that the plaintiff had indecently exposed himself on 10 occasions during the preceding iy2 years. The board concluded that such actions were manifestations of a personality disorder under paragraph 4b of Air Force Begulation 39-16; and the board recommended that the plaintiff be discharged from the service because of unsuitability under the provisions of AFB 39-16.

Air Force Begulation 39-16, referred to in the decision of the board of officers, prescribed a procedure (which included a hearing before a board of officers) for the discharge of airmen on the ground of unsuitability. Paragraph 4b of that regulation stated in part that an airman was subject to discharge for unsuitability when one or more of the following conditions existed:

Character and behavior disorders, * * * and transient personality disorders due to acute or special stress * * *.

[913]*913The administrative proceedings ultimately resulted in the plaintiff being discharged by the Air Force for unsuitability effective November 13, 1964, under Air Force Regulation 39-16.3

The plaintiff contends in the present action that he was illegally discharged from the Air Force because of the introduction in evidence against him of (1) the self-incriminating statement which the Travis County Deputy Sheriff obtained from him, and (2) the affidavit which the Travis County Sheriff’s Department obtained from Mrs. Annie Mae Brown.

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Bluebook (online)
461 F.2d 1273, 198 Ct. Cl. 908, 1972 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 88, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/waller-v-united-states-cc-1972.