Case: UNITED STATES, Appellee v. PAUL R. SMITH, Private, U. S. Army, Appellant
Abbreviation: United States v. Smith
Decision Date: 1973-06-08
Docket Number: No. 26,434
Citation: 22 C.M.A. 342
Volume: 22
Reporter: Decisions of the United States Court of Military Appeals
Court: United States Court of Military Appeals
Jurisdiction: United States
Parties: UNITED STATES, Appellee v PAUL R. SMITH, Private, U. S. Army, Appellant
Judges: 
Pages: 342–343

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES, Appellee v PAUL R. SMITH, Private, U. S. Army, Appellant
22 USCMA 342,
46 CMR 342
No. 26,434
June 8, 1973
Colonel Joseph E. Donahue and Colonel Arnold I. Melnick were on the pleadings for Appellant, Accused.
Lieutenant Colonel Ronald M. Holdaway, Captain James F. Motley, Captain Richard L. Menson, and Captain Stan L. Spangler were on the pleadings for Appellee, United States.

Opinion:
Opinion
Quinn, Judge:
Before trial, the accused entered into a pretrial agreement providing for a sentence not to exceed dishonorable discharge and confinement at hard labor for 8 months. The court-martial sentenced him to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement at hard labor for 3 months, and forfeitures. At issue on this appeal is the admissibility of evidence of a previous conviction by a summary court-martial at which the accused was sentenced to confinement at hard labor for 1 month. See United States v Alderman, 22 USCMA 298, 46 CMR 298 (May 26, 1973). That sentence was suspended, and it does-not appear that the suspension was revoked. Government counsel contend that other evidence demonstrates that the accused was "never confined as a result" of this conviction. Apart from the effect of the unserved confinement upon the constitutional validity of the previous conviction, I am satisfied that the conviction did not result in a more severe sentence than the court-martial would have adjudged had evidence thereof not been admitted. The decision of the Court of Military Review is affirmed.