WFAA.com reports that: Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan’s attorney tells News 8 he will ask a military judge Thursday morning to close the upcoming Article 32 Hearing for his client to the public and press. “I think it’s necessary to ensure he can eventually get a fair trial…
Articles Posted in court-martial
AFCCA denies a new trial
The Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals has issued an opinion in United States v. Hull. The issues on appeal are: whether the staff judge advocate (SJA) erred by advising the convening authority (CA), pursuant to Rule for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 1106, that no new trial was warranted and whether the…
ACCA on post-trial honorable discharges
Here is a link to United States v. Brasington., decided 13 September 2010. It is not unusual for an appellant to be issued a DD214, Honorable Discharge, sometime after a court-martial at which the appellant was adjudged a punitive discharge. In this case, we are asked, following remand, whether an…
Padilla in practice
Here is a training video and handouts from NACDL. This may be helpful with your junior enlisted court-martial clients who are foreign nationals. In Padilla v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court held that defense lawyers must affirmatively and correctly advise their clients about the immigration consequences of entering a plea and…
LTC Lakin sitrep
This is the 12th day that APF (safeguardourconstitution), LTC Lakin’s support site, has failed to post the military judge’s findings and conclusions, and advertises as “Breaking News,” “Judge to Rules (sic) . . ..” The Post & Email reports today, submitted by Maj. Gen. Vallely: The current Lakin defense strategy…
False confessions
New York Times has this good short piece about false confessions. New research shows how people who were apparently uninvolved in a crime could provide such a detailed account of what occurred, allowing prosecutors to claim that only the defendant could have committed the crime. An article by Professor Garrett…
Wuterich sitrep
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: A major Iraqi war crimes case that has dragged on for five years hit another snag Monday when a military judge excused one of the attorneys for a Marine sergeant whose squad was charged with killing 24 Iraqis. The move by military judge Lt. Col. David…
Something to read
Swinging a Sledge: The Right to Effective Assistance of Counsel, the Law of Deportations, and Padilla v. Kentucky, August 31, 2010, Joseph Ditkoff In Padilla v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court decided that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of the effective assistance of legal counsel requires that counsel inform his client whether…
Up periscope
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a book review of Richard North Patterson’s new book which is about a court-martial. Yes, it’s about a Army officer who returns from Iraq, kills his former commander, and As the case unfolds, Mr. Patterson gives the reader a tutorial in military justice as well as…
More thoughts on LtCol Eidsmoe’s thinking
This is the 9th day that APF (safeguardourconstitution), LTC Lakin’s support site, has failed to post the military judge’s findings and conclusions, and advertises as “Breaking News,” “Judge to Rules (sic) . . ..” The Greeley Gazette, hometown newspaper for LTC Lakin has the piece, “Retired JAG Officer Says Judge’s…