David Kocieniewski, Lawyer’s Ways Spelled Murder, U.S. Is Charging, NY Times, 20 May 2009. He spent a decade as a top prosecutor, trying murder cases in New Jersey, drug cases in federal court and a wide range of offenses in the military justice system. He went on to become one…
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
DADT
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Repeal, Don’t Defend: In today’s WSJ, Brian Hughes, a former Army Ranger twice awarded the Commendation Medal, makes a powerful case for ending "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Volokh Conspiracy.
Death penalty news
Last week saw the exoneration of the 132nd person from death row since 1973. Paul House, who was on death row for 22 years and was scheduled for a new hearing, was exonerated after a DNA test proved he was not the perpetrator of the murder he was convicted of…
CAAF decision
CAAF has decided United States v. Collier, __ M.J. ___ (C.A.A.F. 2009). This case presents the question whether the military judge erred in granting the government’s motion in limine prohibiting Appellant’s defense counsel from cross-examining HM2 C, the main Government witness, about an alleged homosexual romantic relationship between her and…
Double standard
Welcome to the real world. Earl Kelly, Academy Justice Tilted Toward Women: Double Standard in Mid Sex Cases During Rempt Era, The (Annapolis) Capital, 17 May 2009. This issue is not limited to the Naval Academy. This is a natural all too predictable outcome of the pendulum shift. But the…
Interplay between MRE 609 and 608
Here is a good case offered by Prof. Colin Miller, Under Construction: Ninth Circuit Resolves Interplay Between Rules Of Evidence 608 And 609, 17 May 2009. As the 9th and Professor Miller note this was a close issue. And here is another treatment of the case at FederalEvidence.blog,“Collateral Details” Of…
CAAF rules changes
Here is the Federal Register for CAAF rule changes.
More GPS
Wisconsin (five days before Weaver) finds GPS tracking reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, but it is troubled by it and urges the legislature to limit it. State v. Sveum, 2009 Wisc. App. LEXIS 343 (May 7, 2009). FourthAmendment blog.
Use of GPS technology
The New York Court of Appeals decided Weaver v. People, No. 53 (May 12, 2009), holding that the NY Constitution prohibits the use of GPS transmitters on vehicles without a warrant, following other state courts analyzing the issue under their constitutions. FourthAmendment blog.
How to write
How To Write Your Brief So That The Judge Will Hate You