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CGCCA on ‘fleeing the scene of an accident’
In United States v. Gubitosi, the Appellant was convicted of one specification of unauthorized absence, in violation of Article 86, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ); one specification of drunken operation of a vehicle, in violation of Article 111, UCMJ; and one specification of underage drinking, one specification of using a false military identification card, and one specification of fleeing the scene of an accident, all in violation of Article 134, UCMJ.
The sole issue on appeal is:
Appellant’s plea to fleeing the scene of an accident was improvident as the military judge failed to elicit a sufficient factual basis regarding whether Appellant knew his act was wrongful in support of his plea.
The court reminds us that:
The legal standard for determining if a guilty plea is provident is whether the record presents a substantial basis in law or fact for questioning it. United States v. Inabinette, 66 M.J. 320, 322 (C.A.A.F. 2008).
Looking at the four corners of the record and reading the stipulation of fact the court found no reversible error.