The defense requests disclosure of the following items in advance of any UCMJ art. 32, preliminary hearing. The request is a continuing one in accordance with UCMJ arts. 32((a)(2)(D) and46; Rules 701, 703, 405(a), (e), (1), (f)(7), (h)(3)(A), Rules for Courts-Martial, Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (2019),; Mil. R. Evid. 304(d)(1), 404(b), 705; United States v. Williams, 50 M.J. 436 (C.A.A.F. 1999); United States v. Briggs, 48 M.J. 143, 144 (C.A.A.F. 1999); and Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963). See also, Uniform Rules of Practice before Air Force Courts-Martial, dated 1 October 2020; Rules 3.2 & 3.3; AFI 51‑201; AFGM2020-02, Administration of Military Justice, dated 5 October 2020, paragraph 5.12; AFI 51-110, Professional Responsibility Program, dated 11 December 2018, Attachment 2 (Air Force Rules of Professional Conduct); Rules 3.3, 3.4, 3.8 & 4.2 and Attachment 7 (Air Force Standards for Criminal Justice), Chapter 5. These items are relevant under UCMJ art. 32(a)(2)(D) and which calls upon the preliminary hearing officer to make a referral recommendation. NOTE: In the event charges are referred to trial, this disclosure request immediately becomes the FIRST defense discovery request.

Interestingly, in Cone v. Bell, 556 U.S. 449 (2009) the Supreme Court court suggests that the duty to provide Brayd[-plus] disclosures may be broader under a prosecutors ethical obligations. The military prosecutor’s ethical rules are:

• Rule 3.8(d), Air Force Instruction 51-110, Professional Responsibility Program.
• Rule 3.8.d, Army Regulation 27-26, Rules of Professional Conduct.
• U. S. Coast Guard, Legal Professional Responsibility Program, COMDTINST M5800.1.
• Rule 3.8.a(4), Judge Advocate General Instruction 5803.1, Professional Conduct of Attorney’s, applicable to both Navy and Marine Corps judge advocates.

We think an early Request is especially important in speedy trial situations–the client is in pretrial confinement or has been placed on restriction. The point is to make the prosecution either respond (thus showing some forward movement) or do nothing, in which case you may have an argument for a lack of reasonable diligence if the discovery comes much later. Remember,

“[O]nce an appellant is placed in pretrial confinement the Government is required to exercise “reasonable diligence” in bringing the accused to trial.” United States v. Danylo, 73 M.J. 183, 186 (C.A.A.F. 2014) citing United States v. Kossman, 38 M.J. 258, 262 (C.M.A. 1993) (internal quotation marks omitted).

Keep in mind that “The prosecution is deemed to have knowledge of information that is readily available to it. Kyles, 514 U.S. at 437; Williams v. Whitley, 940 F.2d 132, 133 (5th Cir. 1991); see Smith, 50 F.3d at 831. See generally United States v. Combs, 267 F.3d 1167, 1172-75 (10th Cir. 2001). Knowledge by any member of the prosecutor’s office is, and must be, imputed to any individual prosecutor responding to this demand, and because of the unusual role of a convening authority and staff judge advocate in the prosecutorial process this would include the convening authority and the SJA. Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 154 (1972); Martinez v. Wainwright, 621 F.2d 184, 186-87 (5^th Cir. 1980). Additionally, and along the same line, the knowledge of governmental agencies connected with the investigation at bar is also imputed to any prosecutor responding to this demand. Gibbs v. Johnson, 154 F.3d 253, 256 (5th Cir. 1998); United States v. Avellino, 136 F.3d 249, 255 (2nd Cir. 1998); Fero v. Kirby, 39 F.3d 1462, 1472 n. 12 (10th Cir. 1994) cert. denied 515 U.S. 1122 (1995). Indeed, the prosecution is the only government agency with a Kyles duty to the accused. Mowbray v. Cameron County, 274 F.3d 269, 277 (5th Cir. 2001).”

In a recent case, we had that happen. Unlike uniformed defense counsel, we immediately filed a Writ of Mandamus and Prohibition to prevent the second trial. In Murillo, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals has agreed that (1) the court has jurisdiction to hear a Writ petition on this issue and (2) the military judge erred in declaring a mistrial. Thus, the court has dismissed the charges. (As of 5 Feb., we do have to wait to see if the prosecution will appeal that decision.)

The Double Jeopardy Clause‘s whole concept is to protect the accused from a second or subsequent trial on the same charges. The trial itself is what is prohibited. The case is United States v. Murillo, No. 202200132 (N-M Ct. Crim. App. Feb. 3, 2023) (unpub.). The Double Jeopardy Clause is in the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution, which says, “No person shall . . . be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb . . . . ” The bar against double jeopardy comes from English common law, possibly from Roman law. See F. Ward, Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment. 26 Am. Crim. L. Rev. 1477 (1989). Ward points out that a double jeopardy challenge can be waived by a pretrial agreement because of a Supreme Court decision in United States v. Broce. The author suggests that the military judge should include in their inquiry about whether a waiver is knowing and intentional and whether the defendant understands that waiving the right to trial as part of a plea agreement is also waiving the double jeopardy claim.

Unfortunately, the military lawyers in the Cabrera case did not do what we would have done. In Cabrera, the military defense counsel properly objected to the second trial but then allowed the second trial to continue without taking any further action to protect his constitutional right to be protected from double jeopardy. They should have filed a Writ and Motion for a Stay of Proceedings pending the resolution of the Writ Petition. That’s what we did in Murillo. Cabrera was convicted and sentenced to confinement. It was on appeal, years later, that the issue of Double Jeopardy was decided in his favor and the charges dismissed. While that decision was being made, Cabrera was in confinement for several years. The case is United States v. Cabrera, __ M.J. ___, 2023 CCA LEXIS 37 (N-M Ct. Crim. App. 2023). See also United States v. Cabrera, 80 M.J. 374 (C.A.A.F. 2020); United States v. Cabrera, No. 201800327, 2020 CCA LEXIS 155 (N-M Ct. Crim. App. May 12, 2020). (As of 5 Feb., we do have to wait to see if the prosecution will appeal that decision.)

NOTE: The Double Jeopardy Clause does NOT prohibit the state and the military from prosecuting you for the same offense(s). This concept comes from the Dual Sovereign Doctrine.

Should you be facing court-martial and the charges are dismissed during the trial, please contact us to discuss your options if there is a potential that the prosecution will make a second attempt to prosecute you on the same charges.

mljucmj@court-martial.com for related appellate issues nathan.freeburg@freeburglitigation.com for representation in a second trial