United States v. Cleckley

Opinion of the Court

George W. Latimer, Judge:

The accused pleaded guilty to having deserted the Service from August 6, 1952, to July 7, 1956. He elected to testify in mitigation and extenuation, and he sought to explain his absence by relating conditions at home which, in substance, proved illness to his wife and hardship to his family. Apparently the members of the court-martial were influenced by his difficulties for, in spite of four previous convictions, they sentenced him to a dishonorable discharge, confinement at hard labor for one year, and forfeiture of $28.80 per month for the same…