In United States v. Vance, ACCA 2018, the addressed RFGOS after changes to UCMJ but without any AR changes. It’s a little complicated so read the opinion. Today we consider what happens when, in violation of Article 60, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), the convening authority sets aside the…
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
Collateral effects of a court-martial
Stewart v. SecNav. One of perhaps many to come in which Jim McPherson is sued in his OFFICIAL capacity. In this case, Marine Corps Officer Nicholas Stewart challenges the Navy Secretary’s refusal to grant him a waiver of statutory requirements that govern his eligibility for incentive pay as “arbitrary, capricious,…
Some guidance on MJA 2016
Navy Military Justice Act 2016 Training guides Prof. Dave Schlueter has Reforming Military Justice: An Analysis of the Military Justice Act 2016. As always, TJAGSA has an excellent Deskbook which addresses aspects of the MJA-2016, The Act is here. Some other resources are available at NIMJ. The Military Justice Review…
Rube Goldberg
Fewer and fewer people these days remember the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who died in 1970. For those who do, the name brings a smile. A “Rube Goldberg” contraption is a piece of machinery with many moving parts of various types, maniacally designed to accomplish some simple goal. Thanks…
Changing DNA
Is DNA Evidence Relevant? UCLA School of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 20-03 4 Pages Posted: 12 Feb 2020 Kenneth W. Graham University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – School of Law Date Written: February 10, 2020 Abstract In admitting DNA sample taken at the crime scene in 2010 to…
Compelled decryption
Decryption Originalism: The Lessons of Burr 134 Harvard Law Review (Forthcoming) 58 Pages Posted: 19 Mar 2020 Orin S. Kerr University of California, Berkeley School of Law Date Written: February 6, 2020 Abstract The Supreme Court is likely to rule soon on how the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination applies to…
Evidence biases
The Evidence Rules that Convict the Innocent Cornell Law Review, Forthcoming 51 Pages Posted: 27 Mar 2020 Jeffrey Bellin William & Mary Law School Date Written: March 2, 2020 Abstract Over the past decades, DNA testing has uncovered hundreds of examples of the most important type of trial errors: innocent defendants…
Ineffective assistance from an expert
I’ve mentioned this before as more likely relevant to appellate practitioners. CAAF decided that a claim of ineffective assistance of an expert might work. On remand in McAllister he AFCCA had this to say. After considering appellant’s claims, our superior court determined that appellant did not receive competent expert assistance, but…
Sensible charging decisions
In United States v. Robertson the accused was charged with CP related offenses and violation of restriction. Here is why as a trial I and my colleagues would, and you should consider–pick the serious and solid charges and leave the detritus out. When you have a solid CP case you…
Evidence collection at the hospital
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Batts & Sanger on Collecting Forensic Evidence in the Emergency Department By CrimProf BlogEditor Share Jayne J. Batts and Robert M. Sanger (affiliation not provided to SSRN and Santa Barbara College of Law) have posted Collecting Forensic Evidence in the Emergency Department: A Guide for Lawyers, Investigators, and Experts (American Journal of…