United States v. King , 2003 CAAF LEXIS 162 ( 2003 )

UNITED STATES, Appellee
v.
Phillip KING, Jr., Senior Airman
U.S. Air Force, Appellant
No. 02-0386
Crim. App. No. 34155
United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
Argued November 6, 2002
Decided February 19, 2003
CRAWFORD, C.J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in
which GIERKE and EFFRON, JJ., joined. BAKER, J., filed an
opinion concurring in the result, in which ERDMANN, J., joined.
Counsel
For Appellant: Captain Kyle R. Jacobson (argued); Colonel
Beverly B. Knott and Major Jeffrey A. Vires (on brief).
For Appellee: Captain C. Taylor Smith (argued); Lieutenant
Colonel LeEllen Coacher and Lieutenant Colonel Lance B.
Sigmon(on brief); Major Jennifer L. Rider and Captain Adam Oler.
Military Judge: W. Thomas Cumbie
THIS OPINION IS SUBJECT TO EDITORIAL CORRECTION BEFORE FINAL PUBLICATION.
United States v. King, No. 02-0386/AF
Chief Judge CRAWFORD delivered the opinion of the Court.
Appellant was tried by a general court-martial composed of
a military judge sitting alone at Fairchild Air Force Base,
Washington. Pursuant to his pleas of guilty, Appellant was
convicted of larceny (13 specifications), making a false
official statement (two specifications), and failing to obey a
lawful order (one specification), in violation of Articles 121,
107, and 92, Uniform Code of Military Justice [hereinafter
UCMJ], 10 U.S.C. §§ 921, 907, and 892 (2002).
The military judge sentenced Appellant to a bad-conduct
discharge, confinement for 29 months, forfeiture of all pay and
allowances, and reduction to the lowest enlisted grade.
Pursuant to the terms of a pretrial agreement, the convening
authority reduced Appellant’s confinement to 24 months but
otherwise approved the adjudged sentence. On appeal, the Air
Force Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the findings of guilty
and the sentence. Thereafter, we granted review of the
following issues:
I.
WHETHER THE AIR FORCE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
MISINTERPRETED THIS COURT’S DECISION IN UNITED
STATES V. ROCK, 52 M.J. 154 (C.A.A.F. 1999),
WHICH HELD THAT PERIODS OF BOTH ACTUAL
CONFINEMENT AND RESTRICTION TANTAMOUNT TO
CONFINEMENT MUST BE APPLIED AGAINST A MAXIMUM
CONFINEMENT LIMITATION IN A PRETRIAL AGREEMENT.
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II.
WHETHER APPELLANT IS ENTITLED TO MASON CREDIT FOR
THE PERIOD DURING WHICH HE WAS RESTRICTED BECAUSE
THE RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON HIM WERE TANTAMOUNT TO
CONFINEMENT.
As to Issue II, we hold that Appellant is not entitled to
Mason credit because the pretrial restrictions placed on his
liberty were not tantamount to confinement. We further hold
that in the future, failure at trial to raise the issue of
pretrial restriction tantamount to confinement waives that issue
for purposes of appellate review in the absence of plain error.
Given our resolution of Issue II, we need not address
Issue I.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
When allegations of Appellant’s larcenies surfaced, his
commander issued a lawful order restricting him to the base.
The extent of that restriction was as follows:
You are hereby restricted to Fairchild Air Force
Base effective 3 Mar 00. You are also restricted
from all base facilities with the exception of
your dormitory residence, the Warrior Dining
Facility, building 2001, the Area Defense Counsel,
and any facility required to assist your defense
counsel with pretrial preparation. All other locations
on base you may need to visit requires permission
by me or the First Sergeant.
At trial, Appellant’s defense counsel made no motion for
credit against confinement for that restriction -– credit which
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would have been available had that restriction been tantamount
to confinement. See United States v. Mason, 19 M.J. 274 (C.M.A.
1985)(summary disposition). However, while Appellant’s case was
before the Court of Criminal Appeals on mandatory review,1
appellate defense counsel for the first time argued that
Appellant was entitled to credit against confinement for the
pretrial restriction. In support of this argument, appellate
defense counsel offered, and the Court of Criminal Appeals
admitted, a written declaration signed by Appellant which
stated:
Building 2001 that is referenced in the letter
restricting me was the squadron building where
the orderly room is. While I was restricted, I
worked for the First Sergeant, doing whatever he
told me to do where he told me to do it. This
included cleaning around Building 2001, cleaning
at the enlisted club, cleaning at the dormitory,
and helping move furniture at the dining facility.
I was also instructed to maintain a mandatory
dental appointment that had been scheduled before
the restriction. In addition to the restrictions
in the letter, I had to check in twice a day at the
orderly room, once at [7:30 a.m.] and once again
between [3:30 and 4:30 p.m.] Whoever was super-
vising my work had to call the First Sergeant and
confirm that I was present and had arrived on time.
After I was restricted, I twice asked for permission
to go elsewhere. I once asked to go to the commis-
sary; my First Sergeant said he would check with the
commander and get back to me, but he never got back to
me. About the same time, I also asked to go to the
gym; the First Sergeant told me that the commander
had said no and that I should learn how to do
calisthenics in the dorm. I thought about asking for
1
See Article 66(b), Uniform Code of Military Justice [hereinafter UCMJ],
10 U.S.C. § 866(b)(2002).
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exceptions again (including to go to the base exchange,
the shoppette, and even to go get gas for my vehicle),
but the earlier negative results to my requests led me
to believe that no exceptions to the restriction order
would be allowed.
Before addressing the merits of Appellant’s argument, the
Court of Criminal Appeals first considered whether the issue
was waived by the fact it was not raised at trial. Although
that court felt there was “considerable merit” to applying
waiver, it felt “constrained” not to apply waiver because of
this Court’s decisions in United States v. Huffman, 40 M.J. 225(C.M.A. 1994), and United States v. Scalarone, 54 M.J. 114(C.A.A.F. 2000). See United States v. King, ACM 34155, slip op.
at 3 (A.F.Ct.Crim.App. Jan. 15, 2002).
As to the merits, the Court of Criminal Appeals held that
even if Appellant was entitled to Mason credit for the
restriction (something it did not decide), he would not have
benefited from it because -– in that court’s view -- under
United States v. Rock, 52 M.J. 154 (C.A.A.F. 1999), the credit
would be applied against the confinement adjudged at the court-
martial, not the confinement approved by the convening
authority. King, ACM 34155, slip op. at 3. Thus, in the lower
court’s view, because the approved confinement was less than the
adjudged confinement would be if reduced by the number of days
Appellant was restricted, it did not matter that Appellant might
be entitled to Mason credit.
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As set out above, the correctness of the lower court’s
interpretation of Rock is now before us under issue I. However,
because we conclude Appellant’s restriction was not tantamount
to confinement, and that he was, therefore, not entitled to any
Mason credit, we need not decide whether the lower court’s
interpretation of Rock was correct. Nonetheless, we direct the
bench and bar to our recent decision in United States v.
Spaustat, 57 M.J. 256, 261-62 (C.A.A.F. 2002), which, like Rock,
addresses whether credits against confinement are subtracted
from adjudged versus approved sentences.
DISCUSSION
Appellant’s Case
In United States v. Allen, 17 M.J. 126 (C.M.A. 1984),
this Court interpreted a Department of Defense Instruction as
requiring day-for-day credit against confinement for time an
accused spends in lawful pretrial confinement. In Mason, 19
M.J. at 274, this Court extended Allen credit to situations
involving pretrial restriction that is “tantamount” or
“equivalent” to confinement, but that do not involve actual
incarceration.2 We did this because we “recognized that the
effect which restriction tantamount to confinement has upon an
appellant is the practical equivalent of the effect which occurs
2
Pretrial restriction that is not tantamount to confinement is permissible
under Rule for Courts-Martial 304(a)(2) [hereinafter R.C.M.], and does not
give rise to credit against confinement.
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United States v. King, No. 02-0386/AF
from a similar period of actual pretrial confinement.” United
States v. Gregory, 21 M.J. 952, 955 (A.C.M.R. 1986), aff’d, 23
M.J. 246 (C.M.A. 1986)(summary disposition).
We review de novo the ultimate legal question of whether
certain pretrial restrictions are tantamount to confinement.
See United States v. Guerrero, 28 M.J. 223 (C.M.A. 1989)
(conducting de novo review of that question); see also United
States v. Mosby, 56 M.J. 309, 310 (C.A.A.F. 2002)(de novo review
of ultimate question whether accused was subject to pretrial
punishment in violation of Article 13, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C.
§ 813)(2002)). “The determination whether the conditions of
restriction are tantamount to confinement must be based on the
totality of the conditions imposed.” United States v. Smith,
20 M.J. 528, 530 (A.C.M.R. 1985).
We consider “the prior examples of such cases . . . and the
factors gleaned from them” in determining whether pretrial
restriction is tantamount to confinement. United States v.
Calderon, 34 M.J. 501, 506 (A.F.C.M.R. 1991). Factors to
consider include
the nature of the restraint (physical or moral),
the area or scope of the restraint (confined to post,
barracks, room, etc.), the types of duties, if any,
performed during the restraint (routine military
duties, fatigue duties, etc.), and the degree of
privacy enjoyed within the area of restraint. Other
important conditions which may significantly affect
one or more of these factors are: whether the accused
was required to sign in periodically with some supervising
authority; whether a charge of quarters or other authority
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United States v. King, No. 02-0386/AF
periodically checked to ensure the accused’s presence;
whether the accused was required to be under armed or
unarmed escort; whether and to what degree [the] accused
was allowed visitation and telephone privileges; what
religious, medical, recreational, educational, or other
support facilities were available for the accused’s use;
the location of the accused’s sleeping accomodations; and
whether the accused was allowed to retain and use his
personal property (including his civilian clothing).
Smith, 20 M.J. at 531-32, cited with approval in Guerrero,
28 M.J. at 225.
This Court addressed in Guerrero whether an accused was
entitled to Mason credit for his pretrial restriction. In
Guerrero, the appellant was initially restricted to the post.
However, he violated that restriction and then was
restricted to his room, the latrine, the chapel, mess
hall and other places deemed to be his place of duty
as long as he was escorted by a noncommissioned officer
[hereinafter NCO]. During off-duty time he could go any
other place necessary provided he was escorted by an NCO.
He was required “to sign in” with the CQ (Charge of
Quarters) every 30 minutes until normal “lights out”
for the company.
28 M.J. at 224 (quoting lower court opinion). At trial,
Guerrero’s defense counsel “expressly declined to equate [the]
appellant’s restriction at any time with confinement.” It was
only on appeal that Guerrero “asserted for the first time. . .
that his pretrial restriction was tantamount to confinement[.]”
Id. On that record, “in light of the conditions of restriction”
and the fact that Guerrero’s “belated claim” was made only on
appeal, our Court concluded that Guerrero’s restriction was not
tantamount to confinement. Id.
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Obviously, Guerrero differs from Appellant’s case because
defense counsel in Guerrero stated on the record: “[W]e do not
claim [the restriction] was tantamount to confinement,” 28 M.J.
at 22, while in Appellant’s case, the record is silent.
Nonetheless, in Guerrero, trial defense counsel’s failure to
argue the restriction was tantamount to confinement was treated
by this Court as evidence that the restriction was, in fact, not
the same as confinement. Moreover, by the time Appellant was
court-martialed, this Court also had stated in a related area
that when an accused fails to complain of the conditions of his
pretrial confinement, that is “strong evidence” that the accused
is “not being punished in violation of Article 13.” Huffman,
40 M.J. at 227.3
As a result, taking into account Guerrero, Huffman, and
Smith, and considering the nature of Appellant’s pretrial
restriction and the fact he did not argue at trial that it was
tantamount to confinement, we hold that Appellant’s pretrial
restriction was not tantamount to confinement, and that he is
not entitled to any Mason credit.
Future Cases
The Court of Criminal Appeals felt compelled by our
precedent to consider Appellant’s request for Mason credit,
3
An accused is entitled to additional sentence credit for violations of
Article 13, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 813 (2002). See R.C.M. 305(k); United States
v. Suzuki, 14 M.J. 491 (C.M.A. 1983).
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despite its belief there was “considerable merit” to applying
waiver. However, in the future, failure at trial to seek Mason
credit for pretrial restriction tantamount to confinement will
constitute waiver of that issue in the absence of plain error.
See United States v. Chatman, 46 M.J. 321 (C.A.A.F.
1997)(announcing new, prospective rule in post-trial “new
matter” area).
The purpose of the so-called raise-or-waive rule is to
promote the efficiency of the entire justice system by requiring
the parties to advance their claims at trial, where the
underlying facts can best be determined. As the Supreme Court
stated:
Ordinarily an appellate court does not give
consideration to issues not raised below. For our
procedural scheme contemplates that parties shall come
to issue in the trial forum vested with authority to
determine questions of fact. This is essential in
order that parties may have the opportunity to offer
all the evidence they believe relevant to the issues
which the trial tribunal is alone competent to decide;
it is equally essential in order that litigants may not
be surprised on appeal by final decision there of
issues which they have had no opportunity to introduce
evidence. . . . Recognition of this general principal has
caused this Court to say on a number of occasions that
the reviewing court should pass by, without decision,
questions which were not urged [below].
Hormel v. Helvering, 312 U.S. 552, 556 (1941). See also United
States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725 (1993).
Of course, we recognize that a Court of Criminal Appeals
has the unique power to determine for itself, from the existing
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record, what the facts of a case are. See Art. 66(c), UCMJ,
10 U.S.C. § 866(c)(2002). It also has the power, in certain
circumstances, to conduct limited fact-finding of its own. See
United States v. Ginn, 47 M.J. 236 (C.A.A.F. 1997). But these
powers fall far short of the power the parties themselves have
to develop fully the factual record at trial through compulsory
process and confrontation -– tools that are not available in a
Court of Criminal Appeals. Thus, the reasons for applying
waiver in the military justice system are just as compelling as
those in the civilian system.
This Court already has applied waiver to the issue of
sentence credit flowing from restriction tantamount to
confinement. In United States v. Chapa, 57 M.J. 140 (C.A.A.F.
2002), the appellant was subjected to pretrial restrictions for
approximately 140 days. At trial, he argued only that he was
subjected to pretrial punishment in violation of Article 13.
Nonetheless, the military judge ruled the restriction was
tantamount to confinement and awarded the appellant 136 days of
credit against confinement. However, “[t]he military judge did
not mention R.C.M. 305; nor did she mention . . . Mason . . . or
Gregory[.]” 57 M.J. at 141.
Before this Court, Chapa argued he was entitled to
additional day-for-day credit, asserting that his commander had
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not complied with the requirements of R.C.M. 305.4 We refused
to consider his argument, however, and instead ruled that
because “[h]e did not assert [at trial] that his restriction was
tantamount to confinement, [and] did not assert a violation of
the requirements for review of pretrial restraint under R.C.M.
305, . . . any issue founded on noncompliance with R.C.M. 305
was waived.” Id. at 141, 143.
Consequently, for all the reasons in support of waiver, we
now hold that once this opinion becomes final, failure at trial
to seek Mason credit for conditions of restriction alleged to be
tantamount to confinement waives that issue on appeal in the
absence of plain error.5 See United States v. Ecoffey, 23 M.J.
629, 631 (A.C.M.R. 1986)(failure to raise Mason issue at trial
waives it on appeal); United States v. Newberry, 35 M.J. 777,
780 n.2 (A.C.M.R. 1992)(same); R.C.M. 905(e)(raise-or-waive
rule).
CONCLUSION
The decision of the United States Air Force Court of
Criminal Appeals is affirmed.
4
R.C.M. 305 imposes on a commander certain requirements when the commander
places an accused in actual pretrial confinement. Failure to comply with
these requirements results in credit against post-trial confinement under
R.C.M. 305(k). The same is true for restriction tantamount to confinement.
United States v. Gregory, 21 M.J. 952, 955 (A.C.M.R. 1986), aff’d, 23 M.J.
246 (C.M.A. 1986)(summary disposition).
5
The case before us does not present the issue of whether waiver is
applicable when credit for illegal pretrial punishment is not requested at
trial.
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BAKER, Judge, with whom ERDMANN, Judge, joins
(concurring in result):
I agree with the majority's conclusion that Appellant
was not due credit pursuant to United States v. Mason, 19
M.J. 274 (C.M.A. 1985), and therefore concur in the result.
Even if the Court of Criminal Appeals found as fact all
that was in Appellant's affidavit, Appellant's restriction
was not tantamount to confinement. Among other things,
Appellant was able to leave the base on at least one
occasion without notice and without restriction. Perhaps
for this reason, Appellant's counsel did not raise the
issue of Mason credit at trial.
I write separately for two reasons. First, in
concluding that "even if the [A]ppellant were entitled to
credit for the 25 days he served under restriction, such
credit would be applied against his adjudged sentence
rather than the approved sentence under the [pretrial
agreement]," the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
misread United States v. Rock, 52 M.J. 154 (C.A.A.F. 1999),
and reached a conclusion contrary to this Court's decision
in United States v. Spaustat, 57 M.J. 256 (C.A.A.F. 2002),
decided after the lower court's decision in this case. As
the law is clear in this area, we should be equally clear
when the lower court misstates the law. Second, this
United States v. King, No. 02-0386/AF
Court’s new rule of waiver would seem to relieve military
judges of responsibility to give credit where credit is
due.
The number of petitions and cases this Court hears
involving post-trial claims of credit can be read to
suggest that the Huffman construct of affirmative waiver is
unworkable as a general rule, or at least an impractical
source of unnecessary litigation. However, it may also
suggest that the concepts of credit and credit calculation
are not as well understood in the field as we might expect.
First tour counsel may not always distinguish between the
variety of credits due under Mason, United States v.
Suzuki, 14 M.J. 491 (C.M.A. 1983), and United States v.
Allen, 17 M.J. 126 (C.M.A. 1984), with the same ease as
appellate courts.
The Court of Criminal Appeals itself, misread Rock,
and misconstrued the manner of credit calculation. In
Rock, 52 M.J. at 157, this Court said
Where there is a pretrial agreement that sets out a
lesser limitation than that adjudged by the court-
martial, however, a different result obtains. Where the
agreement establishes a maximum confinement, for example,
that is less than that adjudged by the court-martial,
that lesser limit becomes the maximum total confinement
that the accused lawfully can be made to serve. Where
portions of that confinement have already been served,
actually or constructively, the credit applies against
the agreement, otherwise the accused's sentence will
exceed the maximum lawful limit.
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In Spaustat, this Court reiterated the point as applied to
Article 13, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §
813 (2002), and Rule for Courts-Martial 305 [hereinafter
R.C.M.] credit:
Furthermore, we recognize that applying confinement
credit against the adjudged sentence in cases where there
is a pretrial agreement can produce anomalous results,
and it can deprive an appellant of meaningful relief for
egregious violations of Article 13 or RCM 305....
Accordingly, in order to avoid further confusion and to
ensure meaningful relief in all future cases after the
date of this decision, this Court will require the
convening authority to direct application of all
confinement credits for violations of Article 13 or RCM
305 and all Allen credit against the approved sentence;
i.e., the lesser of the adjudged sentence or the sentence
that may be approved under the pretrial agreement.
Spaustat, 57 M.J. at 263-64.
Nonetheless, the lower court concluded: “Even if
appellant were entitled to credit for the 25 days he served
under restriction, such credit would be applied against his
adjudged sentence rather than the approved sentence under
the [pretrial agreement].” (As a result, the Court of
Criminal Appeals did not reach a factual conclusion
regarding Appellant’s restriction.)
Against this backdrop, I agree with the majority that
issues of Mason credit are better litigated at the trial
level. In support of this position, the majority concludes
that the parties have far more power than do courts of
appeal to discover facts. Whether or not this is accurate
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United States v. King, No. 02-0386/AF
as a comparative matter, or in general, see e.g., United
States v. Campbell, 57 M.J. 134 (C.A.A.F. 2002)(Court of
Criminal Appeals has discretion to determine how additional
evidence will be obtained), the parties certainly have
within their reach adequate means of discovery to fully
litigate questions of credit at trial. To this end, the
majority announces a prospective rule of waiver: “[F]ailure
at trial to raise the issue of pretrial restriction
tantamount to confinement waives that issue for purposes of
appellate review in the absence of plain error.”* _ M.J.
(3).
I would not be so quick to relieve military judges of
their responsibility for providing credit where credit is
due. R.C.M 905(e) does not make military judges
spectators, devoid of responsibility for ensuring the fair
and just administration of justice. If indeed an appellant
has been denied a liberty interest, which amounts to
confinement, he should have his claim to credit adjudicated
*
If this is a new rule, it is not clear what rule it replaces. If the
rule is intended to overturn the reasoning in United States v.
Scalerone, 54 M.J. 114, 117 n.1 (C.A.A.F. 2000) then the court should
do so expressly. Alternatively, this Court should indicate why Article
13, Uniform Code of Military Juctice, 10 U.S.C.§ 113 (2002), claims are
distinct from claims pursuant to United States v. Mason, 19 M.J. 274(C.M.A. 1985), in a manner warranting a separate application of waiver.
Nor is it clear whether there is a difference between plain error and
error in cases involving valid claims of credit. Absent such
discussion and distinction, the clarity the new rule is intended to
offer may be diluted in the field.
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by competent judicial authority.
If the Court is concerned about unnecessary appellate
credit litigation, we should ensure that military judges --
experienced in the law and its application -- ask on the
record whether an accused seeks any credit. If the trial
judge does so and the accused is silent, or responds in the
negative, then surely the matter of credit is waived. That
is a workable and simple solution that will prevent undue
litigation under either a preserved or plain error rubric.
But that is not this case. Appellant did not receive
restriction tantamount to confinement. Therefore, it is
not surprising that counsel did not pursue a credit claim
at trial.
5