Extensive changes to military justice went into effect on January 1, 2019. One of the biggest changes was the addition of a new type of court-martial. Article 16(c)(2)(A) allows a special court-martial convening authority to refer charges to a special court-martial consisting of a military judge alone. Unlike when the charges are tried at a […]
In 2016, Congress passed the Military Justice Act of 2016. These significant changes to the UCMJ and the Manual for Courts-Martial came into effect on January 1, 2019. While the law did create some new offenses, the biggest changes came in the procedures associated with courts-martial. Here are some of the most important changes: 1) […]
In early 2014, Senior Chief Barry was charged with two specifications of sexual assault. He eventually went to trial and was convicted of one specification by a military judge. The finding and sentence came up to RADM Lorge, the Commander of Naval Region Southwest-San Diego for action. Although the Rules for Court-Martial governing the case […]
When the Government wants to introduce a confession made by a servicemember at court-martial, it has to satisfy the requirements of Military Rule of Evidence 304. The confession must be voluntary and every essential fact in the confession must be corroborated, or supported, by independent evidence. This rule exists to make sure that individuals are […]
In recent years, much attention has been paid to the VA health system and disability ratings. However, for servicemembers who leave the military due to injury or illness, the military disability rating can be much more important. Servicemembers who have an injury or illness that keeps them from returning to full duty, known as an […]
If you have ever read a court-martial charge sheet, you have probably wondered how one allegation of a crime could turn into five different charges. Prosecutors frequently break an incident down into multiple offenses when they prepare the charge sheet. For example, one fistfight could end up with several specifications of assault, one for each […]
On 29 November 2016, Private Hendrix was charged with two specifications of sexual assault. However, the alleged victim refused to participate and testify in the proceedings. Therefore, eventually, the convening authority dismissed the charges. One day later, the alleged victim decided she did want to participate in a trial against the accused. The convening authority […]
By Isaac Kennen, Saturday, May 5, 2018 Last week, Senior United States District Court Judge James L. Graham issued an order allowing part of a long-running civil rights test case, John Doe v. The Ohio State University, to go forward to a jury. John Doe is an expelled medical student who is suing a Ohio State University Sexual Violence Support Coordinator, in her […]
If you or your loved one was convicted at a court-martial, it does not mean the opportunity to defend yourself is over. What if about a year after your court-martial you discover new evidence that could lead to a new finding that you are not guilty? In this case, you may petition for a new […]
Recently, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) reversed three different Air Force cases based on their 2016 holding in United States v. Hills. In Hills, CAAF held that if a servicemember is charged with more than one sexual offense in a court-martial, one charge cannot be used as “propensity evidence” to show […]