There are lots of reports out there on the Stryker Brigade cases now in the Article 32, UCMJ, process. One of the highlighted issues has been the reports that SPC Winfield’s father made numerous attempts to tell the Army what was going on. Here is an interesting CNN piece: Charles…
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
New ACCA unpublished opinion
United States v. Stanley. The appellant raised eight errors through counsel and an additional six in accordance with United States v. Grostefon. One assignment of error warrants discussion, but no relief. Specifically, appellant alleges that the military judge erred by failing to properly instruct the panel regarding appellant’s right during…
Up periscope
Kate Wiltrout at Virginia Pilot reports: The XO of USS SAN ANTONIO has chosen to go to a court-martial on charges he was negligent on the day a sailor was lost at sea last year. If convicted, Lt. Cmdr. Sean D. Kearns, now assigned to a staff job at the…
LTC Lakin Writ sitrep
The Army Court of Criminal Appeals rules are here. As previously indicated there is no “deadline” for the filing of a writ petition in this situation, but once a petition is filed several deadlines and requirements kick in. Like DMLHS I have a request in for a copy of the…
Authenticity
Here’s a reminder about authenticating emails based on a posting from Prof. Colin Miller at EvidenceProfBlog. To paraphrase Prof. Miller: And, like its federal counterpart, [Mil. R. Evid.] 901(b)(4) provides that By way of illustration only, and not by way of limitation, the following are examples of authentication or identification…
Bring lawyers, guns, and money
is the title of a pretty good song. Huffington Post uses this theme as part of a commentary on tensions created by having a lot of civilian contractors deployed. There are some interesting (unattributed) quotes from some JA’s who have been there, done that.
Operation Predator
It is never a good idea to be knowingly looking at and receiving child pornography. The FBI announced today some results of Operation Predator. Caught up was a Brandon Hronich, who it appears may have a prior court-martial conviction for being involved in CP.
An early war crime trial?
Guenal Mettraux, A Little Known Case from the American Civil War: The War Crimes Trial of Major General John H. Gee, 8 J. Int. Crim. Justice, 1059. Major John Henry Gee was the commandant of the Confederate prison at Salisbury, North Carolina from 1864 until 1865. During his tenure, thousands…
Peacekeeping and sex offenses
Melanie O’Brien’s thesis for her PhD at Nottingham Univ. is online. National & International Criminal Jurisdiction Over United Nations Peacekeeping Personnel for Gender-Based Crimes Against Women. This thesis seeks to determine the most effective jurisdiction for criminal accountability for UN peacekeeping personnel who engage in sexual exploitation and abuse of…
Bring lawyers, guns, and money
is the title of a pretty good song. Huffington Post uses this theme as part of a commentary on tensions created by having a lot of civilian contractors deployed. There are some interesting (unattributed) quotes from some JA’s who have been there, done that.