HARTFORD, Conn. — The only cadet court-martialed in the 130-year history of the Coast Guard Academy has run out of options to appeal his conviction.
Cadet Webster Smith already served time behind bars, but continued to fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
After more than four years, the Smith case is over. The former Coast Guard cadet hit a dead end when the U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear his final appeal.
Smith was acquitted of rape charges, but served five months in a military prison after being convicted of sodomy, extortion and other charges.
He was also kicked out of the Coast Guard Academy.
Smith has claimed in multiple appeals that his constitutional rights were violated at his trial.
He said he wasn’t allowed to ask one of the female cadets who accused him of rape about her past, saying he wanted to show that the woman known as Cadet S.R., had a motive to lie about what happened with Smith.
He claimed their sexual encounter was consensual.
Since the nation’s high court has declined to hear Smith’s case, the final judgment comes from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the armed forces.
In March the court ruled that his conviction should stand, saying “further cross-examination of Cadet S.R. was not ‘constitutionally required.'”
Many Supreme Court experts thought the high court might take Smith’s case, but the justices declined the case without comment.
Smith now lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and daughter. He’s required to register as a sex offender there for the rest of his life.
He has typically responded to each court ruling on his website, but so far, no comments have been posted about this latest, and final, defeat.
