From DefenseNews: Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., told reporters on Tuesday that Senate and House Armed Services Committee leaders want to finish the compromise version of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by Friday. There will likely be no floor amendments, Levin said, largely because…
I came across a piece entitled, “We Love the Pentagon’s ‘Encylopedia of Ethical Failure’” which is on medium.com. The piece notes what we have all seen that the last few years have seen many ethical challenges for the military. Likely we know more about the specific cases because of The…
I was reading Unwashed Advocate today, and thought I would repeat his good advice on how best to make a motion or objection at trial. I have a couple of additional thoughts, but otherwise his is good advice. He says, and I quote extensively: However, when it comes to making…
Global Miliary Justice Reform blog brings us news of action in Europe in regard to a U.S. deserter seeking refugee status in Germany – he was avoiding deployment to the AOR. On 1 January 1977, President Carter pardoned a large number of civilians who had gone to Canada to avoid…
I was at a conference this weekend on global issues of military justice. Again this lingering issue of transparency came up. My friend and colleague Gene Fidell at Global Military Justice Reform, has found a couple of gems. You can find information about the internal workings of the Army trial…
Another of my ongoing noting of civilian cases which reference or rely upon military appellate decisions. I do this partly because it is an example of transparency and why it is needed in the military. When using Lexis or other search functions you are going to come up with military…
Professor Schlueter takes a stab at answering the question. David A. Schlueter, The Military Justice Conundrum: Justice or Discipline?, 215 MIL. L. REV. 1 (2013). Why even ask the question let alone seek an answer. Well it depends on where you stand on the current issue of a commander’s authority…
The silly political season has passed for a short period of time. Bet’s are on now for the presidential silly season having started, etc. During the campaign of now senator elect x, the issue of her political statements and her reserve officer obligations came up. That is an interesting topic…
Each week CrimProfBlog publishes the top ten downloaded articles. Here are three that may be useful to military justice practitioners. Brady’s Blind Spot: Impeachment Evidence in Police Personnel Files and the Battle Splitting the Prosecution Team Jonathan Abel, Stanford Law School – Constitutional Law Center The Supreme Court’s Brady doctrine requires…
Professor Imwinklried has an excellent article advocating banishment of the ban on extrinsic evidence to impeach under Federal (Military) Rule of Evidence 608(b) (MRE). Prof. Imwinkleried questions why the ban is necessary and may in fact encourage perjury on the part of a testifying witness. Professor Kevin Cole has an…