Elisabetta Grande (2009) “Dances of Justice: Tango and Rumba in Comparative Criminal Procedure,” Global Jurist: Vol. 9: Iss. 4 (Frontiers), Article 6. Available at: http://www.bepress.com/gj/vol9/iss4/art6 Ms. Grande some interesting reading comparing the judicial process we experience in common law countries and the experiences of lawyers in Continental Europe. More than…
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
Alcohol related decisions?
Tales of the Tipsy Coachman: Being Right for the Wrong Reason – The Tipsy Coachman is Alive and Well and Living in Florida
I object, so let’s discuss that with the members
Ooops. When you object to something you are asking that the members not hear a piece of testimony or see a piece of evidence–right? Right? So why then do you let the Trial Counsel (or defense counsel) discuss that with the military judge in front of the members? I see…
Note of SOR
From Prof. Doug Berman’s excellent Sentencing Law & Policy. Four+ years ago as noted in this post, the US Supreme Court issued a short per curiam summary reversals in Grady v. North Carolina, No. 14-593 (S. Ct. March 30, 2015) (available here), in which the Court clarified and confirmed that the Fourth Amendment is applicable…
Fourth Amendment happenings
A couple of interesting items from John Wesley Hall’s excellent Fourth Amendment blog. Without something to go on, the court declines to ascribe a supposed error in an address as a mere typo. Moreover, the affidavit fails to provide any nexus to defendant and the place to be searched, and…
Worth-the-Read
Rossmo, Kim and Pollock, Joycelyn, Confirmation Bias and Other Systemic Causes of Wrongful Convictions: A Sentinel Events Perspective (June 28, 2019). Northeastern University Law Review, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2019. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3413922. Tokson, Matthew J., The Emerging Principles of Fourth Amendment Privacy (July 23, 2019). George Washington Law Review,…
Upon taking command
Going through some old files I came across the Excerpts from a letter which the Powell Committee recommended The Judge Advocate General of the Army send to officers newly appointed as general court-martial convening authorities. (Committee on the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Good Order and Discipline in the Army:…
Don Rehkopf as a reminder to defense counsel
Here is something from good friend Don Rehkopf as a reminder to defense counsel. 1) For anyone representing a client with Art. 120, offenses that will trigger a Dismissal or DD upon conviction; or 2) Anyone representing a client where there may be a chance of being sentenced to a Dismissal or…
Confirmation Bias and Other Systemic Causes of Wrongful Convictions
Confirmation Bias and Other Systemic Causes of Wrongful Convictions: A Sentinel Events Perspective, By D. Kim Rossmo and Joycelyn M. Pollock. Their study suggests that 37% of wrongful convictions result from confirmation bias. Table 1: Causal Factors (≥ 10) Causal Factor Confirmation bias 37 Tunnel vision 24 High-profile crime/media attention…
Retirement after court-martial
Defense counsel: You have an enlisted client who is retirement eligible: E-6 to E-9. What is their retirement check, assuming they are in a position to retire after trial? Before you answer, please read 10 U. S. C. 1407, especially para. (f). Now–E-8 reduced to E-4, what is the retired pay? My…