New CAAF Grant

​No. 21-0149/NA. United States, Appellee/Cross-Appellant v. Paul E. Cooper, Appellant/Cross-Appellee. CCA 201500039. On consideration of the petition for grant of review of the decision of the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, it is ordered that said petition is hereby granted on the following issues:

I. AN ACCUSED HAS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO HAVE HIS COUNSEL MAKE A PROPER ARGUMENT ON THE EVIDENCE AND APPLICABLE LAW IN HIS FAVOR. DID THE MILITARY JUDGE ABUSE HIS DISCRETION WHEN HE ALLOWED THE MEMBERS TO RECALL THE COMPLAINING WITNESS AFTER DELIBERATIONS BUT REFUSED THE DEFENSE REQUEST TO PRESENT A RENEWED CLOSING SUMMATION ON HER NEW TESTIMONY? DID THE LOWER COURT ERR BY REFUSING TO CONSIDER THIS ISSUE?

II. AN APPELLANT HAS THE RIGHT TO EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION BY APPELLATE COUNSEL. WERE APPELLATE COUNSEL INEFFECTIVE WHERE: (1) COUNSEL FAILED TO ASSIGN AS ERROR THE MILITARY JUDGE'S DENIAL OF A RENEWED CLOSING ARGUMENT DESPITE DEFENSE COUNSEL'S OBJECTION AT TRIAL; (2) THIS COURT DECIDED UNITED STATES v. BESS, 75 M.J. 70 (C.A.A.F. 2016), ONE MONTH BEFORE COUNSEL FILED A SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF RAISING ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR BEFORE THE LOWER COURT; AND (3) THE LOWER COURT REFUSED TO CONSIDER THE ISSUE WHEN IT WAS RAISED DURING A LATER REMAND TO THAT COURT?

The NMCCA opinion is here.


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