UNITED STATES, Appellee, v. Ryan G. ANDERSON, Specialist, U.S. Army, Appellant.
No. 08-0344
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Argued Sept. 22, 2009. Decided March 4, 2010.
Crim.App. No. 20040897.
For Appellant: Eugene R. Fidell (argued); Lieutenant Colonel Matthew M. Miller, Captain Candace N. White Halverson, and Matthew S. Freedus (on brief); Lieutenant Colonel Steven C. Henricks, Major Grace M. Gallagher, Captain Jason Nef, and Brent C. Harvey.
For Appellee: Captain Stephanie R. Cooper (argued); Colonel F.J. Allen III, Lieutenant Colonel Martha L. Foss, and Major Lisa L. Gumbs (on brief); Major Elizabeth G. Marotta, Major Tami L. Dillahunt, Captain W. Todd Kuchenthal, and Captain Philip M. Staten.
Judge RYAN delivered the opinion of the Court.
This case presents two questions: (1) whether Appellant‘s trial became fundamentally unfair where, after the military judge denied Appellant‘s request for a forensic psychologist expert witness, the Government presented such a witness during its rebuttal case; and (2) whether the military judge erred in failing to dismiss charges under
I. Facts
A general court-martial convicted Appellant, contrary to his pleas, of one specification of attempting to give intelligence to the enemy, two specifications of attempting to communicate with the enemy, one specification of attempting to aid the enemy, and one specification of wrongfully and dishonorably providing information to military personnel whom he believed were terrorists, which was conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline and of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, in violation of
The charges stem from actions that occurred before Appellant deployed with his Washington State National Guard unit to Iraq in the fall of 2004. Appellant began
Through the website, Appellant began exchanging e-mails with a purported Muslim extremist in order to offer his aid towards extremist goals. On November 2, 2003, Appellant authored an e-mail in which he wrote, “Just curious, would there be any chance a brother who might be on the wrong side at the present, could join up ... defect so to speak?” Subsequent e-mails on November 3, 7, and 9, 2003, detail the possible movements of Appellant‘s unit to Iraq, the units that his unit would be replacing, and ways in which Appellant could be contacted that would hinder any investigation into the conversations. In reality, the “Muslim extremist” was a private American citizen who was a member of a group of concerned citizens devoted to gathering intelligence in an attempt to thwart terrorist activities in the United States.
As Appellant became more comfortable with his “extremist” contact, his e-mails became much more detailed and included comprehensive information about the number of soldiers in his unit, their training programs, and the precise location to which his unit would be deploying. This included: (1) e-mails on November 11, 2003, that detailed how soldiers were being trained to spot potential suicide bombers; and (2) an e-mail on December 14, 2003, that detailed the location of his unit‘s planned deployment to Balad, Iraq, estimated the number and capabilities of the soldiers that would be stationed there, and expressed a desire to “bring [him]self ... across to the arms of our Muslim brothers and sisters when I come to Iraq.” The conversations between Appellant and the “extremist” culminated in several e-mails during December 2003 and January 2004 in which they coordinated a meeting to plan for actions against U.S. interests within the United States. However, no meeting took place because Appellant was deployed overseas before any definite plans were established.
On November 10, 2003, the civilian who had been posing as an extremist reported Appellant‘s actions to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This led FBI agents and military personnel to open an official investigation, begin posing as Al Qaeda operatives, and initiate communications with Appellant via a telephone number he had provided to the civilian. These communications began on or about January 17, 2004, and focused on determining Appellant‘s intentions and the viability of a face-to-face meeting. Appellant eventually met with undercover investigators on February 8, 2004, and provided a floppy disk with his passport picture to prove his identity. A second meeting occurred the following day, February 9, 2004, during which Appellant provided the undercover agents with computer diskettes containing classified information on the vulnerabilities of various military vehicles, the vulnerabilities of his unit as they traveled to Iraq, and other sensitive information. Appellant also noted the most vulnerable points of several Army vehicles—including M1A1 and M1A2 tanks—on paper schematics he had brought with him, and he verbally described the most effective way to force a tank crew to abandon their vehicle and kill them. Shortly after the second meeting occurred, Appellant was taken into custody.
Prior to trial, Appellant was evaluated by a board convened pursuant to
The diagnosis alone and a RCM 706 board does not indicate in any way that the accused lacks mental capacity or is unable to form the specific intent required. There is no underlying factual basis and no showing of anything that would satisfy the requirements for employing an expert.... I will revisit this later if there is evidence that would support the defense allegations, but the mere nature of the offenses and the type of diagnosis alone do not mandate that the government provide expert assistance.
After this ruling, the defense requested and was granted the assistance of a government-appointed expert in clinical psychology, Dr. Jack T. Norris. The military judge denied a Government motion in limine concerning whether Dr. Norris would be allowed to provide testimony as to the intent or knowledge of the accused, holding that the Government was incorrect in asserting that it takes a forensic psychologist to testify to such matters. The military judge also denied Appellant‘s request that the Government be prevented from attacking Dr. Norris‘s credentials, holding that such cross-examination would be relevant if Dr. Norris strayed beyond the bounds of his expertise.
At trial, Dr. Norris testified that he diagnosed Appellant with Bipolar I Disorder, schizotypal and narcissistic features, and an unspecified personality disorder, but that none of the conditions prevented Appellant from knowing the difference between role-playing and reality or from separating fact from fiction. The Government‘s cross-examination of Dr. Norris was quite limited. While the Government did draw attention to the fact that he was a clinical and not a forensic psychologist—and therefore not an expert in the interface between the law and psychology—neither the accuracy of Dr. Norris‘s psychological evaluation nor his qualification to make such an evaluation was called into question. Appellant also presented testimony from another expert, Dr. Russell Hicks, a staff psychiatrist at the Madigan Army Medical Center and Appellant‘s treating psychiatrist, who testified that he had diagnosed Appellant with Asperger‘s Syndrome and Bipolar I Disorder, which inhibited Appellant‘s ability to interact with others but did not affect his knowledge of the difference between right and wrong. Dr. Hicks based his opinion mainly on his observation of Appellant while in confinement and historical evidence of Appellant‘s behavior, and stated that he did not find evidence contemporaneous to the crime helpful. On cross-examination, Dr. Hicks admitted that, while a practicing psychiatrist, he was not board-certified and did not view himself as an expert on Asperger‘s Syndrome.
In rebuttal, the Government called Dr. Ricky Malone, a forensic psychiatrist from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. No objection was made to Dr. Malone‘s qualifications or testimony. Dr. Malone noted that there was legitimate diagnostic uncertainty with respect to this case and that the assessments made by Dr. Norris and Dr. Hicks were “all reasonable considerations.” In agreement with the defense witnesses, Dr. Malone testified that Appellant‘s psychological symptoms affected neither his intellectual functioning nor his ability to tell the difference between right and wrong. Dr. Malone did raise an issue regarding Dr. Hicks‘s (Appellant‘s treating psychiatrist) testimony about the material that Dr. Hicks took into account when coming to his diagnosis. Dr. Malone testified that in the field of forensic psychology, contemporaneous evidence of Appellant‘s behavior should be given great weight in the diagnosis. Furthermore, Dr. Malone testified that, contrary to Dr. Hicks‘s testimony, Asperger‘s Syndrome does not affect cognitive functioning. Dr. Malone did
II. Denial of Forensic Psychologist
Servicemembers are entitled to government-provided expert assistance if such assistance is necessary to their defense. United States v. Freeman, 65 M.J. 451, 458 (C.A.A.F. 2008). The government must provide the expert if the accused establishes:
that a reasonable probability exists that (1) an expert would be of assistance to the defense and (2) that denial of expert assistance would result in a fundamentally unfair trial. To establish the first prong, the accused “must show (1) why the expert assistance is needed; (2) what the expert assistance would accomplish for the accused; and (3) why the defense counsel were unable to gather and present the evidence that the expert assistance would be able to develop.”
Id. (citations omitted). When the defense requests a nonmilitary expert, the defense must provide an estimated cost of employment and illustrate why a military expert would be an inadequate substitute. While the military judge is not required to provide the particular expert requested, if the defense shows that expert assistance is necessary an adequate substitute must be provided. United States v. Warner, 62 M.J. 114, 118 (C.A.A.F. 2005). A military judge‘s ruling regarding the appointment of a government-funded expert is reviewed for an abuse of discretion and will only be overturned if the findings of fact are clearly erroneous or the decision is influenced by an erroneous view of the law. See United States v. Lee, 64 M.J. 213, 217 (C.A.A.F. 2006) (citing United States v. Gunkle, 55 M.J. 26, 32 (C.A.A.F. 2001)).
The decision to deny Appellant‘s request for the expert assistance of Dr. Kennedy was not an abuse of discretion in the absence of any: (1) reason beyond a childhood diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder and the convening of an
A trial is fundamentally unfair where the government‘s conduct is “so outrageous that due process principles would absolutely bar the government from invoking judicial processes to obtain a conviction.” United States v. Russell, 411 U.S. 423, 431-32, 93 S.Ct. 1637, 36 L.Ed.2d 366 (1973) (citation omitted). Appellant did not object to the testimony or qualifications of the Government‘s rebuttal expert, and we therefore review the military judge‘s failure to act for plain error. See United States v. Powell, 49 M.J. 460, 463-65 (C.A.A.F. 1998) (holding that failure to object at trial should cause this Court to review solely for plain error, i.e., error that is clear or obvious and materially prejudicial to an appellant‘s substantial rights).
As a threshold matter we note that Appellant does not argue, and it is not the law, that having expert type A for Appellant and expert type B for the Government on rebuttal is per se unfair. See Warner, 62 M.J. at 119 (requiring the defense expert to “have qualifications reasonably similar to those of the Government‘s“). Nor does Appellant detail how Dr. Norris was inadequate.
Dr. Malone‘s testimony added little to the Government‘s case and bolstered the testimony of Appellant‘s experts. Rather than attack the diagnoses of Appellant‘s experts, Dr. Malone noted that there were legitimate reasons for the discrepancy in diagnosis among the two defense experts and that their conclusions were entirely reasonable. The only discrepancies between the testimony of Dr. Malone and either defense expert concerned the importance of certain evidence to a clinical diagnosis and the affect of Asperger‘s Syndrome on cognitive functioning, and those discrepancies were between Dr. Malone and Appellant‘s treating psychiatrist, not the court-appointed psychologist.3 Because the Government‘s rebuttal expert‘s testimony merely confirmed the plausibility of Appellant‘s experts’ direct testimony, we are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Appellant was not prejudiced by it.
III. Multiplicity
Appellant alleges that Charge III4 (simple disorder in violation of
We review multiplicity claims de novo. United States v. Roderick, 62 M.J. 425, 431 (C.A.A.F. 2006). “‘If a court, contrary to the intent of Congress, imposes multiple convictions and punishments under different statutes for the same act or course of conduct,’ the court violates the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Constitution.” Id. (citations omitted) (emphasis in original). This Court “analyze[s] Congress’ intent using the separate elements test established in Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 52 S.Ct. 180, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932).” Id. at 432 (citations omitted).
The applicable rule is that, where the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether there are two offenses or only one, is whether each provision requires proof of a fact which the other does not. Blockburger, 284 U.S. at 304, 52 S.Ct. 180.
A facial comparison of the elements of the charges Appellant claims are multiplicitous demonstrates that each “requires proof of a fact which the other does not.” Id.
Nor is the Additional Charge multiplicitous with Charge I, Specification 1. While that specification concerns attempts to give intelligence to the enemy, the Additional Charge focuses on attempts to communicate with the enemy. Congress defined aiding the enemy as giving intelligence to or communicating with the enemy. See United States v. Dickenson, 6 C.M.A. 438, 450, 20 C.M.R. 154, 166 (1955) (“As we read Article 104, none of the acts enumerated is conditioned upon, or restricted by, another. Rather, the Article prohibits separate and distinct acts, each of which is sufficient by itself to constitute the offense.“); compare
IV. Unreasonable Multiplication of Charges
Even where charges are not multiplicitous, “the prohibition against unreason-
(1) Did the accused object at trial that there was an unreasonable multiplication of charges and/or specifications?;
(2) Is each charge and specification aimed at distinctly separate criminal acts?;
(3) Does the number of charges and specifications misrepresent or exaggerate the appellant‘s criminality?;
(4) Does the number of charges and specifications unfairly increase the appellant‘s punitive exposure?;
(5) Is there any evidence of prosecutorial overreaching or abuse in the drafting of the charges?
Id. (citation and quotation marks omitted).
As we have previously held, the application of the Quiroz factors involves a reasonableness determination, much like sentence appropriateness, and is a matter well within the discretion of the CCA in the exercise of its
We do not find that the CCA abused its discretion in declining to find an abuse of prosecutorial discretion here. Appellant completed any number of independent actions that alone would have been sufficient to support specifications in addition to the ones with which he was charged. While Appellant did object at trial, his criminality was not exaggerated by the manner in which the conduct was charged; his punitive exposure was not increased, because a conviction on any one of the
V. Preemption
Finally, Appellant suggests that
The preemption doctrine prohibits application of Article 134 to conduct covered by Articles 80 through 132. For example, larceny is covered in Article 121, and if an element of that offense is lacking—for example, intent—there can be no larceny or larceny-type offense, either under Article 121 or, because of preemption, under Article 134. Article 134 cannot be used to create a new kind of larceny offense, one without the required intent, where Congress has already set the minimum requirements for such an offense in Article 121.
[S]imply because the offense charged under Article 134, UCMJ, embraces all but
one element of an offense under another article does not trigger operation of the preemption doctrine. In addition, it must be shown that Congress intended the other punitive article to cover a class of offenses in a complete way.
United States v. Kick, 7 M.J. 82, 85 (C.M.A. 1979). Thus, we have required Congress to indicate through direct legislative language or express legislative history that particular actions or facts are limited to the express language of an enumerated article, and may not be charged under
But the legislative history of
VI. Decision
The decision of the United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals is affirmed.
Notes
I. SHOULD THE MILITARY JUDGE HAVE DISMISSED CHARGE III AS PREEMPTED, MULTIPLICIOUS, AND AN UNREASONABLE MULTIPLICATION OF CHARGES; AND THE ADDITIONAL CHARGE AS MULTIPLICIOUS WITH CHARGE I, SPECIFICATION 1, AND AN UNREASONABLE MULTIPLICATION OF CHARGES WITH CHARGE I, SPECIFICATION 2?
II. WAS APPELLANT AFFORDED A FAIR TRIAL EVEN THOUGH HIS REQUEST FOR A FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST WAS DENIED AND THE GOVERNMENT THEREAFTER AVAILED ITSELF OF A FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST AND ATTACKED THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE VERY EXPERT IT DID MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE DEFENSE?
In that Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, also known as Amir Abdul Rashid, U.S. Army, did, on divers occasions, at or near Fort Lewis, Yakima, Lakewood, Lynnwood, and Seattle, Washington, between, on or about 17 January 2004 and about 10 February 2004, wrongfully and dishonorably provide: information on U.S. Army troop movements, equipment, tactics, identification and weapon systems; methods and means of killing U.S. Army personnel and destroying U.S. Army weapon systems and equipment; and specific vulnerabilities of U.S. Army organizations, weapon systems, and equipment, to U.S. military personnel, whom the accused thought were Tariq Hamdi and Mohammed, members of the al Qaida terrorist network, such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces, and of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.
In that Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, also known as Amir Abdul Rashid, U.S. Army, did, on divers occasions, at or near Fort Lewis, Yakima, Lakewood, Lynnwood, and Seattle, Washington, between, on or about 23 January 2004 and about 10 February 2004, attempt to, without proper authority, knowingly give intelligence to the enemy, by disclosing true information to U.S. military personnel, whom the accused thought were Tariq Hamdi and Mohammed, members of the al Qaida terrorist network, an enemy force, about: U.S. Army troop movements, equipment, tactics, and weapon systems; methods and means of killing U.S. Army personnel and destroying U.S. Army weapon systems and equipment; and specific vulnerabilities of U.S. Army organizations, weapon systems, and equipment.
In that Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, also known as Amir Abdul Rashid, U.S. Army, did, on divers occasions, at or near Fort Lewis and Lynnwood, Washington, between, on or about 17 January 2004 and about 22 January 2004, attempt to, without proper authority, knowingly communicate with the enemy, by oral, written, and electronic communication to U.S. military personnel, whom he, the said Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, thought to be Tariq Hamdi, member of the al Qaida terrorist network, an enemy force, a communication in words substantially as follows, to wit: I wish to meet with you; I share your cause; I wish to continue contact through conversations and personal meetings.
In that Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, also known as Amir Abdul Rashid, U.S. Army, did, on divers occasions, at or near Fort Lewis, Yakima, Lakewood, Lynnwood, and Seattle, Washington, between, on or about 23 January 2004 and about 10 February 2004, attempt to, without proper authority, knowingly communicate with the enemy, by oral, written and electronic communication to U.S. military personnel, whom he, the said Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, thought to be Tariq Hamdi and Mohammed, members of the al Qaida terrorist network, an enemy force, a communication in words substantially as follows, to wit: I wish to desert from the U.S. Army; I wish to defect from the United States; I wish to join al Qaida, train its members, and conduct terrorist attacks.
