Case Name: UNITED STATES, Appellee v. LELAND C. STANFORD, Private E-2, U. S. Army, Appellant
Court: United States Court of Military Appeals
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1958-02-21
Citations: 8 C.M.A. 726
Docket Number: No. 10,870
Parties: UNITED STATES, Appellee v LELAND C. STANFORD, Private E-2, U. S. Army, Appellant
Judges: Chief Judge Quinn concurs.
Reporter: Decisions of the United States Court of Military Appeals
Volume: 8
Pages: 726–728

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES, Appellee v LELAND C. STANFORD, Private E-2, U. S. Army, Appellant
8 USCMA 726, 25 CMR 230
No. 10,870
Decided February 21, 1958
Major Edward Fenig and First Lieutenant James G. Garner were on the brief for Appellant, Accused.
Lieutenant Colonel John G. Lee and First Lieutenant Jay D. Fischer were on the brief for Appellee, United States.

Opinion:
Opinion of the Court
HomeR FERGUSON, Judge:
The accused, charged with desertion, terminated by apprehension, pleaded not guilty but guilty of the lesser offense of absence without leave. The court-martial, however, found him guilty as charged. Before this Court he assigned as error the law officer's instruction dealing with the question of intent and in particular that portion which advised that:
". . . an intent may reasonably be inferred, such as evidence of a much prolonged period of absence without authority for which there is no satisfactory explanation, . . ."
This instruction is indistinguishable from the one held prejudicial in United States v Soccio, 8 USCMA 477, 24 CMR 287.
The decision of the board of review is reversed and the record returned to The Judge Advocate General of the Army for resubmission to a board of review. The board, in its discretion, may affirm the lesser offense of absence without leave and reassess the sentence or it may order a rehearing on the principal charge.
Chief Judge Quinn concurs.