Case Name: UNITED STATES, Appellee v. J. L. JEFFERIES, Airman Second Class, U. S. Air Force, Appellant
Court: United States Court of Military Appeals
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1961-03-31
Citations: 12 C.M.A. 259
Docket Number: No. 14,743
Parties: UNITED STATES, Appellee v J. L. JEFFERIES, Airman Second Class, U. S. Air Force, Appellant
Judges: Chief Judge Quinn concurs.
Reporter: Decisions of the United States Court of Military Appeals
Volume: 12
Pages: 259–260

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES, Appellee v J. L. JEFFERIES, Airman Second Class, U. S. Air Force, Appellant
12 USCMA 259, 30 CMR 259
No. 14,743
Decided March 31, 1961
Colonel James L. Kilgore and Major William A. Crawford, Jr., were on the brief for Appellant, Accused.
Colonel Merlin W. Baker and Captain Donald W. Brewer were on the brief for Appellee, United States.

Opinion:
Opinion of the Court
Homer Ferguson, Judge:
The accused was found guilty of larceny of a record player, in violation of Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 121, 10 USC § 921. He was sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge, reduction to the lowest enlisted grade, confinement at hard labor for three months, and forfeiture of ?30.00 per month for three months. Following affirmance by intermediate appellate authorities, we granted his petition for review.
Examination of the record of trial discloses that the prosecution was permitted to adduce testimony from an air police investigator concerning his opinion whether the accused intended to steal the property involved in the specification. This was prejudicial error. United States v Adkins, 5 USCMA 492, 18 CMR 116. The accused, however, judicially confessed to the lesser offense of wrongful appropriation. Accordingly, the foregoing errors do not require a complete reversal.
The decision of the board of review is reversed, and the record of trial is returned to The Judge Advocate General of the Air Force. A rehearing may be ordered, or the sentence may be reassessed on the basis of findings of guilty of wrongful appropriation.
Chief Judge Quinn concurs.