Plea agreement bad faith by trial counsel does not just harm one defendant. It fractures the foundation that military justice runs on. A March 2026 ruling from the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals—United States v. Gonzalez—puts that reality on the record and demands attention from every military legal professional. What Happened in Gonzalez Marine…
Continue reading ›Background An enlisted panel convicted Staff Sergeant David Ingram of attempted sexual abuse of a child, attempted receipt of child pornography, and solicitation of child pornography distribution. The charges arose from messages Ingram exchanged on the Whisper app with an adult decoy posing as a fifteen-year-old as part of a “to catch a predator” operation.…
Continue reading ›United States v. Munn (ARMY 20250252) United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals — Summary Disposition (25 Feb 2026) Procedural Posture PFC Elijah T. Munn pleaded guilty at a special court-martial to attempted patronage of a prostitute under Article 80, UCMJ. Pursuant to a plea agreement, the government moved to dismiss: with dismissal “without prejudice to ripen into prejudice” upon…
Continue reading ›Government appeals under Article 62 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) involve some of the most procedurally complex cases in the military justice system. When the Government challenges a military judge’s ruling during an ongoing court-martial, the case unexpectedly shifts from trial litigation to appellate practice. Defense counsel must quickly defend a favorable ruling before…
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