Court-Martial Trial Practice

Kens5.com reports:

While Major Nidal Hasan recovers in a hospital, the depth and complexity of the legal case which could soon surround him is expansive and could take years to conclude, according to well-known defense attorney, Jack Zimmermann.

In addition to pretrial statements, it is to be considered that the president as commander in chief is the one who ultimately approves a death sentence and signs the warrant.  Should President Obama remain in office for a second term, it’s possible he might get to make that decision.  He already has one military death penalty warrant sitting somewhere in his office for consideration.

NY Daily News and FoxNews.com report:

A 5.7-millimeter pistol used in the Fort Hood shooting was purchased legally by suspect Nidal Hasan at a Texas gun shop, law enforcement officials said Friday.

Army Col. John Rossi, deputy commander at Fort Hood, confirmed at a news conference late Friday in Texas that the two weapons carried by Hasan were not military arms, but "privately owned weapons … purchased locally."

Monstersandcritics.com:  has a piece on, “Legal issues snarl German inquiry into airstrike colonel (1st Lead).”  While the piece is relevant to criticism of the German commander who ordered an air strike in Afghanistan, I thought it might resonate a little in regard to Italy’s conviction of a U.S. Air Force officer (More on the Italian prosecution on a USAF colonel).

The issue has caused strain between Germany, which has loosened its rules so that its troops in Afghanistan can shoot back, and US General Stanley McChrystal, who is trying to bolster Afghan public support for his International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The sad events at Fort Hood have caused some to review the general “crime rate” within the military.  Slate’s Daniel Engber has this short piece.

Is There a Lot of Crime on Military Bases?Not as much as you’d think.

That said, major crimes have been in on the rise across all bases since 2003, according to a report (PDF) released in July. Rates of arrests for murder, rape, assault, and arson saw an especially large bump between 2007 and 2008. The study, which was commissioned after six members of the same brigade were charged with homicides over a 12-month period, found that soldiers with more combat experience—and whose units had suffered more casualties—were at greater risk than other soldiers of developing mental illness, conduct problems, and criminal behavior.