KOMO News reports that: An Army Specialist accused of killing two fellow soldiers and taking their baby has changed her plea to guilty. Spc. Ivette Davila entered guilty pleas to two counts of premeditated murder and one count of kidnapping during a military court hearing Monday morning. It was not…
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
Up periscope
Coast Guard Report reports that: Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command, Rear Adm. Edward H. Deets III, relieved Cmdr. Mary Ann L. Giese, commanding officer of U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Bahrain Aug. 21 due to loss of confidence in her ability to command. The decision to relieve Giese…
Up periscope
Army Times reports that: Second Lt. Douglas Sofranko, a Florida National Guard officer photographed wearing a Navy SEAL Trident insignia he didn’t rate, has been relieved of his full-time duties with the Guard, and his future in the military is uncertain. The earlier post, “Ooops I have to graduate?”, is…
LTC Lakin
Silence. 20 August 2010 was the day to submit motions. They would have had up to the close of business. Nothing on APF in terms of documents filed. Frankly I’m not expecting anything to be released, certainly not by the government. You will recollect that LTC Lakin and APF has…
Religious offensive
Army Times reports: The Army said Friday it was investigating a claim that dozens of soldiers who refused to attend a Christian band’s concert at a Virginia military base were banished to their barracks and told to clean them up. . . . Smith said he went up the chain…
Wuterich update
North County Times reports: Nearly five years after 24 Iraqi men, women and children were slain by a Camp Pendleton squad as it searched for a roadside bomber, the last man to face criminal charges from the incident is about to go on trial. Wuterich’s trial —- which is scheduled…
ACCA expert assistance case
ACCA has an excellent unpublished opinion in United States v. McGinnis, No. ARMY 20071204 (A. Ct. Crim. App. Aug. 19, 2010). Here it is with liberal sprinklings of Dwight’s synopsis. Appellant was convicted of battering his 8-month-old son. His GT score was 90 and he had a reputation for being…
Crime spree Astronaut more than grounded
Navy Times reports: A former astronaut who gained notoriety for stalking a romantic rival after driving 900 miles straight from Houston is expected to be discharged from the Navy. A board of inquiry made up of three Navy admirals voted 3-0 Thursday give Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak an “other than…
ACCA on IAC
In United States v. Darling, ACCA affirmed because appellant could not establish the prejudice prong of an IAC “claim.” This is worth reading for those cases where the accused is found not guilty after a contested case, but during sentencing there is a concession that the accused was actually guilty. …
Coast Guard certified issues to CAAF
The Coast Guard has certified the following issues to CAAF. No. 10-6010/CG. U. S., Appellant v. ANDREW L. DALY, Appellee. CCA 001-62-10. Notice is hereby given that a certificate for review of the decision of the United States Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals was filed under Rule 22 on…