Court Opinion

ID: 9836836
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-02 03:15:12.104546+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:45:19.028099
License: Public Domain

EFFRON, Judge
(dissenting):
I would set aside the decision below and remand the case to the Court of Criminal Appeals for consideration of the options for appropriate relief under Article 58b, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 USC § 858b. Appellant’s request in this case is for “meaningful relief.” See United States v. Pierce, 27 MJ 367 (CMA 1989). Although appellant has requested that his bad-conduct discharge be set aside, he has not taken an “all-or-nothing” position that forecloses other meaningful relief. The lead opinion takes too narrow a view of the law when it concludes that Article 58b prevents any relief in this case simply because it views setting aside the discharge as disproportionate and inappropriate.
If we were to remand this case, the court below could consider the option of treating the first 11 days of confinement as deferred. Under Article 58a, this would provide appellant modest, but meaningful relief in the form of 11 days’ pay. Moreover, depending upon the relationship between the end of appellant’s confinement and the expiration of his service obligation, it is possible that the lower court could reduce his approved confinement by 11 days so that the last 11 days of confinement served would be in a pay status. Upon careful briefing by the parties and review by the court below, there may well be other options that could provide appellant with meaningful but not disproportionate relief, in view of the conclusion of the court below that appellant was entitled to a remedy for 11 days of illegal pretrial confinement.