Court Opinion

ID: 9836863
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-02 03:15:15.253564+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:45:19.083667
License: Public Domain

SULLIVAN, Judge
(concurring in part and in the result):
The victim alleged that she was raped by A1C G while being held down by an unseen person in appellant’s bedroom. Appellant asserted in a pretrial statement that he only watched the alleged victim have consensual sex with A1C G on appellant’s living room couch and not in his bedroom. The police discovery of an unopened condom under appellant’s bed was “res gestae” evidence, which might corroborate the alleged victim’s testimony at least as to the location of the alleged act of sexual intercourse. United States v. Kloock, 652 F.2d 492, 495 (5th Cir. 1981); see Beeler v. State, 374 S.W.2d 237, 239 (Tex.Crim.App.1964). This clearly was relevant evidence within the meaning of Mil. R.Evid. 401.
In addition, I am not persuaded that proof of presence of the unopened condom also shows a conspiracy or is relevant to proof of a charge of conspiracy to rape. The Court of Criminal Appeals’ rationale on this point is total speculation, but I see no substantial prejudice in its proffered use for this purpose. Art. 59(a), UCMJ, 10 USC § 859(a). Accordingly, I would affirm.