The Last Line of Defense: Federal Habeas Review of Military Death Penalty Cases

• Author: Captain Dwight H. Sullivan
• Pages: 01

I Introduction

The United States military's last execution occurred on April 13, 1961. In the United States Discqhary Barrack's (USDB) boiler room,1 Army Private First Class John A. Bennett "waited calmly as Cai Weidon W. Cox, USDB commandant, read the orders of execu-tion and the sentence"2 When Caionei Cox asked the condemned soldier if he wanted to make a final statement, Bennett answered. "Yes. I wish to take this last opportunity to thank you and each

member of the staff for all you hare done m my behalf ' Colonel Cox replied, "May God have mercy on your soul."3

Bennett paused at the head of the 15-foot ramp leading to the gallows and asked the chaplam to pray far him

The guards walked Bennett quickly down the ramp He was turned around TO face the witnesses A black hood was placed over his head. and the noose adjusred The trap was Sprung at 5 minutes and 17 seconds after midnight bg an Amy sergeant

Pronouncement of death came 16 minutes later by the senior medical officer present. The officer saluted Col-onel Cox, indicating the execution had been carried out according to instructions 1

3Tha a~eounf of BenneWr last i-ardr and Colonel Cox's repli was rakea from id The BCCOYO~ m rhe official after-aerlan report differs eomr\bhar The after-action repart relates

When men an appmunif) to make a last rrafemenr br the Comman dam Bennett Staled ~~balanfisll~as follaui I wish lo make a la~f

haiemerc\ oniaursoul"

Memorandum Captain David J Anderson to Office of the PrmoE Marshal General at 2 113 APT 1861) (fded in Record, United Srafes, Bennett, 7 C(1856) (No 7i08) (on file at Federal Records Center Sunlandnett Record])

Bennett's final sentence 8s related by the after acrian repan probabli !+as delivered bi Colonel Cox, 8s reported by the Leorenuorlh Fzms (The after-action repart indicates that Patrick Prarrer of the Leoienuorih Times attended the exec" tion Id 1 'Illhe KSDBI recorda on the exeeufmn inelude rhe Ekecution arder as read to Bennett' Index IO File of Prisoner John .4 Bennefl at 2 (on file at CSDB Folf Leavenworth. Kansas) At the bottom of rhe execution order IS a scnpt for the Cam-mandant to read The script provided fhsf the Commandant was to ask. Prisoner Bennett you hare heard the orders directing your execution Haw sou an) laif statement IO make" ' The script then called for the Commandant To ifare '?la\ the Lord have mere? on your JOYI[

1 ' Order of E X ~ C Y ~ O ~

(20 Mar 1881) (On file Bf LSDB

*LEA~ENWRTHnhmi supra note 2 See ye~wrully Richard A Serrano Last So!

dzm to me af Iear.enuoifh Hanged ,n an Aprd Sfarm L I TIIES July 12 1884 m A14 Bennett had been convicted of rape and attempted premedlfsfed murder of anIl-)ear-ald Ausrrlan prl Bennett. 7 C >1 i

Bf 98 21 C 21 R at 2% ? h r O i Y Fzimes

repone that Bennett ' WBI the only milltan pnioner hanged far rape durlng peacetime ' CharlerH Bornno. Way Cleo,JorP~rl~reniaoru'Sincp1961

Juli

For! Leavenworth, Kansas)

* i n r T ~ ~ r

25, 1888 at 10

II herher lmpailng the death penalty for rape rernalns consflturlanall) Permssible IS quertlonable Sixteen years after Bennett s exeeutlon the Lnned Starer Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth lmendmenr prohibits a death sentence far rapinganadult~oman Cokerv Gearga, 433K S 584(18ii)(phrali[?aplnlon)

Bennett IS distinguishable from Cuke m that Bennett 1 ilcflm i a 3 in 11-gear-old s r l One cornmenran notes. horerer. that lallthough iCokml slates the Issue In the context of the rape of an adult uonian id sf 602 the opmon at no point reeks to

Bennett's execution ended more than six years of litigation. After the Amy Board of Review and the United States Court of Appeals far the Armed Forces affumed the death penalty,E Bennett twice unsuccessfully sought habw relief from the United States District Court for the District of Kansas (Kansas District Court), twice unsuccessfully appealed the denial of habeas relief to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Cmuit (Tenth Circuit),a and unsuccessfully petitioned the CAAF for a wdt of error coram nobis.?

The United States military executed 160 service members from 1930 to 1961.8 Since 1957, however, when President Eisenhower authorized Bennett's execution,Q no military death sentence has

distinguish befileen adults and children" C~GREESIOVAL RESEARCH SERIICE.

LIBRARY

OF THE Uvmn STATES

or AUERICA AULISIS AND LYIERPRETI-m01 1402 n 18 (Johnn? H Killinn Leland E Beck. eds.. 19871 iherelnafter COVCRES-SlOhAL REIEARCB SIR~CII The Florida Supreme Court has held that Cok? precludes impasins the death penalty far the rape of a chlld under 12. Buford Y State, 403 so 26 843 (Fla 1081). m l &mad, 454 E s 1163 (1882). oCCord. Collmr Y State. 236 S E 26 758 761-bZ 168 19771 [Jordan J , coneurnnp) me Missimppi Supreme Covn reached the oppmlfe eoncluslon Upshaw Y State. 360 So Zd 1358 (hlirs 1977). but see Leatherwood v Stare. 548 So 26 388. 403-06 (Mas.i9891 (Robertson, J., c&rnng) One commentator har maintained that "homicide mes be the on15 cnme far rhleh death ma? be imposed under the eighth amendment Bruce J. W-iniek pros-eNVlTZO1 Peremptory Cholknge Rmttces tn Capttal Cases. An&Vnp%ncal

Studs and

n Camlrluliannllnaiusis. 81 MICH L REI, 1 3 n 4 119821

,~ '

,\me that O n October 6. 1881 the President limed inlo law Smatr Rill ZlR2

The Arm? Board of Reilew's dedion la3 unreported The CAAF's deelrlon IS

reponedar7CXA 8 7 . 2 I C M R 223(1866]ymm'oliy Bennett Y Davrs. 267 F2d 15 110th Cx 1958). Bennett Y Cox

287 F2d 888 (10th Clr 18611 The COUAdlsrnlised the second appeal due to counsel';

failure to file a brief

.hired States, Bennett, I1 C \I A. 799 (1960) (orders denymg petitm for wnl of error corm nobis and perrfion for sfa), of exeeutron)

President Elsenhorer Derionalls inmoved Benoetl.5 death sentence an Julv 2 1867 Bennett Record. %pro note 3 6; April 12. 1861, Bennett ienf~splea'fo;

clemency to President Kennedy Bennett's relepam staled m pan, "&cause 1 haven't klll lslcl anyone therefore I should not he killed The aid testament onlv mks for rn

Vlll You please In the "me of God and mercy Spare my hie: Id me

ite Home ansaered

Co\anzss. THE C O \ S T ~ ~ O ~

receiied presidential approval 10 Thls thirty~seren year luarui may soon end On Xovernber 10. 1991 the CAAF affirmed a death sen-cence for the first time since 1860.1' If the Cnited States Supreme

Court either denies certiorari or affirms the CAAF's hoiding,12 the President will decide whether to approve the death sentence.

Once a rnilitaly death sentence receives presidential approval, the case wiii enter the federal habeas corpus arena.L3

The threshold question then wiii be how to provide the condemned service mem-ber with counsel. That question 1s of critical importance As one group of researchers studying federal habeas review concluded, ''[Tlhe availability of professional representation IS the single most important predictor of success in federal habeas orp pus.''^^

This article first presents an overv~ew of federal habeas corpus review of courts-martial and considers whether habeas is a meaningful forum for vindicating condemned service members' constitu- Fiical Year 1895, Pub L No 103-337 I06 Stat 2663, 2631 (to be codified at 10 U S C 8866) ThiE8n1elewillrefertofheseC~UnSbytheirnernamei

From 1861 to 1888 the CAAF heard only four death penally ~ase3 The four caes heard during that period weie Lnlred Stares Y Kemp 13 C kl A 88. 32 C M R 89 (18621, Uruled Stares Y Matthews 16 kl J 364 (C 1

A 1883), Lnired Stares Y

Rojar. 17 kl J 164 (C M A 1884). and Lnifed States 5 Hutchmion. 18 I1 J 281 IC I1 A (summary dispoiifion). cwt dmwd 468 U S 881 (1884) The CMFset aside

Kemp'r death sentence due to a )iulation of h s right against self-lncnmmarlon. 13 C M A atQ7-100 32 C 11 R ar87-100 IniUaIfhews theCAAFrvledlhatrhemilrtarv

. . "

la' [Flederal C D Y ~ S

normallr wdl not entertain habeas petifi~ns by mllaary priranera unless all available mllaaw remedies have been exhausred ' Schleiinger Y

Councilman. 120 D S 738. 758 (18761, me a h

Gusik v Schllder, 340 U S 128 (1850). see lmerolly 2 FnahCIB A GlLLrc*\ & FnEDXIc I LEDERER, C O L m k I a I u L PRoCFmRE5 26-33 00 (18Bl) [hereinafter Gnumv & LEDERES],

Richard D Roren. Czi.ilzan

Courts and ihe.Uzl%Lary JusliceS?islon CollaferalRa'tm of CosrLs"ortia1, 108 MnL RE5 5, 67-76 (1866). John E Thuman. Annofalron Bm~m by Federal Cwil Cmr& OJ Courl-MorfLol Con~iclrons-.l%deni Status 86 A L R Ita 472. 480-605 11889) [hereinafter Annotalionl Ani habeab corpu~petition ehallenang a milltan death ienrence filed before oreiidential a ~ ~ r o ~ a l likeh would be deemed ~iemsiure

action on the sentence

"Richard Faurt el SI Tha @?eat W+zi zn Acfron hnp~ncal Ltghl on the FcderolHobeasCorpusBbofr. L B N l U RIY L &Sa C I I A I G E ~ ~ ~

707(1880-1881) [heremafter Empirical L~phll Clarence Darrow made a slmll~r point more c o l l ~ qulalls ' I wll maranfee that e5ery man wutmg for death m Smg Smg 18 there Without the aid of a goad lawyer ' CLAREWE DARROS', h R N E Y FOR TBE D A ~ ~ E O

(Anhur Yemberged 1857)

tional rights. In keeping with Justice Holmes's admonition That "[tlhe life of the law has not been logic: it has been erperience,'''j this section surveys the Kansas District Court's habeas practice dur-ing1002and1003.

The article then analyzes the current state af law concerning appointment of counsel for service members under death sentences who are Seeking federal habeas relief. This analysis will necessarily be speculative. Since Bennett's 1061 executmn, the law governing appointment of counsel for indigent habeas petitioners has evolved dramatically, no case has yet arisen TO test the resulting law's impact on federal habeas corpus review of capital courts-martial.

After examining the current state of the law, the article considers the law as it should exist This section argues that indigent service members on death row should receive appointed counsel during habeas rewew The article then considers three options for providing habeas counsel to military death row...