United States v. Pippins, is a reminder that when a person possesses drug for a persons own use and/or distribution, the possession is an LIO of the use or the distribution. A review of multiplicity in this case centers on whether the appellant’s possession of BZP is in the same…
Articles Posted in court-martial
DON ROT’s
Here is a link to the 29 September 2010, JAGINST 5813.1B, Standardization of General Courts-Martial and Special Courts-Martial Verbatim and Summarized Records of Trial.
Up periscope
Air Force Times reports: A U.S. soldier was taken into custody after an Afghan detainee was found dead in his cell, apparently from a gunshot wound, NATO said in a statement Tuesday night. Military.com reports: An American Soldier was charged Wednesday with killing two fellow U.S. troops and wounding a…
Pretrial and trial publicity
Federal Evidence Review references: In conspiracy and arson trial, reversing and remanding when trial court failed "to make adequate inquiries regarding news stories" that appeared during deliberations and their impact on juror’s deliberations; the judge erroneously failed to explore "whether any juror heard any of the information" and its impact…
Ramrod Five/Stryker brigade
USA Today is reporting that Morlock has been referred to trial non-capital. As does Reuters, MSNBC and other news outlets.
San Diego Bay Coast Guard boating collision
the log (California’s Boating & Fishing News) reports: The Coast Guard has ordered three petty officers to stand trial in a San Diego Bay crash that killed an 8-year-old boy during a holiday boat parade, an official said Oct. 6. Rear Adm. Joseph R. Castillo, commander of the 11th Coast…
LTC Lakin sitrep
I happened to have business at MDW today so I stopped by to take LTC Lakin’s pulse for his upcoming court-martial and watch today’s Article 39(a), UCMJ, session. The writ was denied today. A straight line standard denial [thanks to CAAFLog for a copy]. 1. Mr. Jensen was excused from…
MAJ Hasan
curiouser and curiouser, the Houston Chronicle reports: Army Col. James Pohl he told the defense it could put its arguments for the continuance into writing rather than air them in court. Defense attorneys did not want to explain their reasons publicly. "I believe that would protect your client’s interest," Pohl…
In the Supremes
Today the court will hear oral argument in Premo v. Moore, a case with potential ramifications for court-martials. Courtesy of SCOTUSBlog here is a summary: The Sixth Amendment secures a criminal defendant’s right to effective assistance of counsel. Under Strickland v. Washington (1984), that right is violated when a lawyer’s…
MEJA, CEJA, etc., etc., etc.
Huffington Post has this piece about PMC’s and the UCMJ. It is common to complain that the while the use of private military contractors (PMC) has grown rapidly in the past decade, the legal apparatus to hold them accountable has failed to keep pace. But that is not as true…