United States v. Story. Here the issue is two-fold: what is the response when the members want to call a witness, and what is permissible on appeal to demonstrate prejudice. ACCA found error in the military judge denying the members an opportunity to call a witness. On appeal, ACCA found…
The Navy’s rule forcing sailors to “promptly” tell their commanding officers if they have been arrested for an off-base drunken-driving violation is unconstitutional, the Navy and Marine Corps’s highest military judges have ruled. And so begins a Navy Times article on United States v. Serianne. I have posted before about…
No, this isn’t an advert for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, or any other. It’s a reminder that Air Force officials reinforce tattoo, body alteration policy. Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance, states "Excessive tattoos and brands will not be exposed or visible while in uniform." Excessive is…
I have posted in connection with some comments about Major Hasan and his desire to have patients prosecuted at court-martial for war crimes and other offenses while deployed to Iraq. Major Hasan’s war crimes trial requests, 17 November 2009. The issue has gained new attention with the recent mass shootings…
Whenever I talk about court-room lawyering I always emphasize that the person must first be themself and not try to become someone they aren’t. Once you decide who you are, your “style,” and how you will present, then you can take the other tools of advocacy and adapt them to…
Thanks to CAAFLog there is news about the military mandatory release program imposed on those convicted and sentenced at court-martial. Judge Rogers of the 10th Circuit has found the program to be legal and constitutional, in Huschak v. Gray, 642 F. Supp. 2d 1268 (D. Kan. 2009). (United States v.…
Here is a good site for information about Stolen Valor Act issues. Web Site Aims to Uncover Fakers in Fatigues Reportstolenvalor.org. Those on active duty can be sent to court-martial for prosecution under the UCMJ.
I’ve posted before about different cases where a service-member or civilian have “invented” their military career. Two recent examples are here and here. Now there’s another. Military.com reports that a retired senior chief petty officer appears to have fabricated his presence in USS COLE when the ship was attacked. In…
The “rule of lenity” “requires ambiguous criminal laws to be interpreted in favor of the defendants subjected to them.” From Levin, Daniel and Stewart, Nathaniel, Wither the Rule of Lenity, Engage, November 16, 2009. This is a claim or objection I have used from time to time, not always successfully. …
Washington Post reports that Col Morris Davis will be released at the end of his probationary period with Congressional Research Service because of recent media pieces. In the Nov. 10 Journal article, Davis wrote that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.’s decision to use both federal court and military commissions…