(No pun intended.) The Army said Monday it has appointed an investigating officer for an Article 32 hearing, which will determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed with a court-martial for Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who’s charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in the deadly shooting rampage on…
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
Interview techniques
The Reid Technique is one of the more known and familiar interrogation and interview techniques used by law enforcement. We mostly become familiar with interrogation methods because of court-martial pretrial motions practice to suppress coerced or false confessions. The value of various police interrogation techniques is not limited to police…
Stolen Valor update
Question, if he served at least three years in the Army, and he left active duty as a PFC, is it not likely that he was disciplined at some point and reduced in rank? With the aid of Maggies Farm (Stolen Honor as a Pick-up Line?), Moonbattery, (Captain Chinpubes below…
Stolen Valor update
I noted earlier that some accused of violating the Stolen Valor Act are challenging it’s constitutionality in situations where the person was a braggart, but did not gain or attempt to gain through the fraud. Here is a new case of someone who likely did gain – a city job?…
Up periscope – WE 070210
Not going too far, how about you? Meanwhile – – – A Robins Air Force Base master sergeant was dishonorably discharged and sentenced to 50 years in prison after he was found guilty of engaging in sexual contact with several minors, according to The Robins Rev-Up, the Robins Air Force…
USMC CM tracking
Here is a link to MARADMIN 062/10, Implementation of Case Management System for Courts-Martial.
Spice prohibited, alcohol still good to go
A new order from Marine Corps Forces Command explicitly prohibits Marines from using a number of legal substances, including the herbal blend Spice, to achieve an altered state of consciousness or a druglike “high.” . . . The order, dated Jan. 27, bars Marines from using, possessing, attempting to possess,…
Quantico Brig suicide update
Capt. Michael A. Webb, 46, of Coto de Caza, Calif., was found unresponsive Sunday at 7:21 a.m. and was later pronounced dead at the scene, said Lt. Col. Roger Galbriath. Webb had been placed under pretrial restraint as a result of the serious nature of his misconduct, because he failed…
Case tools
Here’s a link to the DOJ list of principal FOIA contacts at federal agencies. I’ve added this as a link to my list of important sites. Here’s a link to Mark Bennett, 16 Simple Rules for Better Jury Selection, 22(1) The Jury Expert, Jan. 2010. The highly entertaining Bennett has…
PTSD and sentencing
I have posted about this issue here, here, and here. As noted previously on this blog, there have been some notable recent examples of judges reducing a sentence based on the hardships a defendant previously suffered as a result of military service. Now, as detailed in this local article from…