Some may remember United States v. Latorre, No. ACM 34670 (A.F. Ct. Crim. App. 3 April, 2002), 64 M.J. 80 (C.A.A.F. 2006). The case had something of a tortured appellate history, ultimately leading to a habeas corpus petition in federal court. See Background, at p.1. Like the mythical Phoenix, Latorre sought…
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
Yes they can–yes the CCA can order a sentence-only rehearing
The problem is that the CCA’s don’t do that enough. But at least they have the power. In United States v. Quick: The underlying issue is whether Article 66(d), UCMJ, authorizes the CCAs to order sentence-only rehearings. The government argues that the CCAs do not have that authority and asks…
A prosecutor’s duty
Amici are former federal prosecutors and senior Justice Department and government officials who have dedicated many years of service to the criminal justice system and have a continuing interest in preserving the fair and effective administration of criminal trials.2 As such, amici understand the duty of prosecutors “to seek justice…
Quote of the day-week-year
Sixty years after Congress created the UCMJ to protect accused servicemembers from abusive and arbitrary punishment, a significant faction in Congress now believes it must be almost completely dismantled and restructured because is is not being used aggressively enough. Multiple federal organizations and a fair number of outside parties consider…
Worth the Read from Military Law Review
There are some interesting articles for military justice practitioners in the Summer 2015, MLR. Barracks, Dormitories, and Capitol Hill: Finding Justice in the Divergent Politics of Military and College Sexual Assault Rudderless: 15 Years and Still Little Direction on the Boundaries of Military Rule of Evidence 513 Open-Ended Pharmaceutical Alibi:…
I thought prosecutors knew they couldn’t comment on exercise of right to silence
At trial, the Government repeatedly sought to use Edwards’s silence after he was Mirandized as substantive proof of guilt as well as for impeachment purposes. Over Edwards’s objection, the Government emphasized in its closing that Edwards had remained silent after law enforcement showed him the contents of the suitcase, suggesting…
Worth the Read-Brady issues
Brady Reconstructed: An Overdue Expansion of Rights and Remedies Leonard Sosnov Widener University – School of Law 2014 New Mexico Law Review, Vol. 45, No. 1, 2014 Abstract: Over fifty years ago, the Supreme Court held in Brady v Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), that the Due Process Clause requires…
Worth the Read
New Developments in Criminal Law: Child Pornography and Appellate Review, by MAJ Jeremy Stephens. THE ABUSE OF DISCRETION STANDARD OF REVIEW IN MILITARY JUSTICE APPEALS, by COLONEL JEREMY STONE WEBER.
Motive to fabricate-a short explanation
Regardless of the type of case, motive to falsely testify of a primary witness is almost always of some relevance. The recent case of Nappi v. Yelich, from the Tenth highlights that. The Sixth Amendment’s confrontation right, which applies equally to defendants in state prosecutions, “means more than being allowed to…
Worth the Read–Cellphones
Protecting the Privacies of Digital Life: Riley v. California, the Fourth Amendment’s Particularity Requirement, and Search Protocols for Cell Phone Search Warrants William Clark, Boston College, Law School, Students June 30, 2015 Boston College Law Review, Forthcoming Abstract: In 2014, in Riley v. California, the U.S. Supreme Court held that…