18 U.S.C. § 1385—Posse Comitatus Act. Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned…
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
Lorrance v. Commandant USDB
Lorrance v. Commandant. This matter is a petition for habeas corpus filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, challenging Petitioner’s conviction by general court-martial. At the time of filing, Petitioner was confined at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This matter is before the Court on Respondent’s Motion…
Prior complaints in sexual assault cases.
At least in the courtroom, we act hastily when we conclude that the decisions of prosecutors and jurors can be based on presumptively believing sexual assault complainants. On the contrary, the presumption of innocence and the government’s burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt in all criminal cases remind us…
Worth the Read–a case of parole.
There is a report of SGT Hatley being released from prison after 11 years confinement. The ACCA’s 2011 opinion is here. An enlisted panel sitting as a general court-martial convicted appellant, contrary to his pleas, of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and premeditated murder, in violation of Articles 81 and…
The Orders Project
Wrestling with Legal and Illegal Orders in the Military in the Months Ahead The Orders Project website is here along with a Sourcebook.
Federal laws prohibiting military actions around elections
18 U.S.C. § 1385—Posse Comitatus Act. Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned…
How useful is SOR?
A local paper has this, Law enforcement officials and researchers caution that the registries play a limited role in preventing child sexual abuse and stress that most perpetrators are known to the child. The U.S. Department of Justice, which oversees the National Sex Offender Public Website, estimates that only about 10…
Got an officer accused under Article 88?
In the current political climate, there’s lot of discussion about retirees being prosecuted for violating Article 88, UCMJ. Should that happen–an unlikely event we all hope, there appear to be at least three defenses if the alleged subject of the disrespect is the commander-in-chief. The First Amendment. Yes, I know…
A prosecutor’s duty to disclose
In United States v. Brickey, [The court] granted review out of concern for the conduct of trial counsel in withholding from the defense certain information impacting upon both the credibility and the competence of a key prosecution witness to the offenses charged. After careful examination of the record and full…
New AWOL policy in the Army
Army Times reports, In the next two weeks, Army senior leaders expect to distribute a new policy governing how the absent without leave status is applied to a soldier who doesn’t report for duty, according to Army Chief of Staff James McConville. The policy could address complaints from some families of…