Court-Martial Trial Practice

United States v. Blazier. Here are the relevant portions of the opinion written by Judge Ryan for the moment. This case presents the question whether the admission of drug testing reports” over defense objection violated Appellant’s rights under the Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause. The antecedent question, whether certain admitted evidence was testimonial, we answer affirmatively,…

North County Times reports: That the military judge “ruled prosecutors must show beyond a reasonable doubt that unlawful command influence hasn’t tainted the manslaughter case against a Camp Pendleton Marine accused of taking part in the 2005 slayings of 24 Iraqi civilians.” This means the defense was successful so far in showing sufficient evidence to…

Marine Corps Times reports: Eight Marines were charged in the biggest criminal case against U.S. troops to arise from the Iraq war. Six have had charges dismissed, and one was acquitted. Whether the only remaining and perhaps highest-profile defendant stands trial may hinge on what happens this week in a military courtroom. Lawyers for Staff…

United States v. Ferguson We granted review to determine whether the military judge erred by accepting Appellant’s guilty plea to indecent exposure. We hold that there is no substantial basis in law or fact to question Appellant’s plea to indecent exposure and affirm the judgment of the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals…

United States v. Bond. Before this court, Appellant has assigned the following errors: I. The military judge erred when he denied the defense motion to dismiss Charges I and III for prior jeopardy. II. An unsuspended bad-conduct discharge is an inappropriately severe punishment for the crimes of which Appellant was convicted. III. Appellant’s Fifth and…

MySAnews reports that: Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, charged in November’s shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead and 32 others wounded, will be moved from San Antonio to a county jail near the military post. Bell County Sheriff Dan Smith issued a statement Monday, saying Bell County commissioners court formalized a…

Rapid City Journal reports that: Government prosecutors dismissed sexual assault charges against an Ellsworth Air Force Base airman when the alleged victim did not appear at an Article 32 hearing for Sr. Airman Vinicus Santana on Tuesday. Santana is scheduled for a court martial on April 20 for a shooting incident in Rapid City that…

Thanks to Fourthamendement.com, here is an article about Arizona v. Gant. Arizona v. Gant: Does it Matter? by Barbara E. Armacost of the University of Virginia School of Law in 2009 S.Ct. Rev. __ (2010). And from the abstract: Prior to the Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Arizona v Gant, it was standard practice under…

Militarycorruption.com has some lengthy pieces about the USS COWPENS and its former CO. Here is an interesting theme to go with the picture: Holly Graf, the female “Captain Bligh,” is highly disliked and even hated by many Navy women. They feel the foul-mouthed martinet, relieved of command of the USS Cowpens for “cruelty and maltreatment…

I’ve posted before about issues with forensic testing and police controlled laboratories (including military drug testing laboratories). Here is an article from my old crim law professor, a former Army JA. You’ve also heard me frequently talk about confirmatory bias in regard to police investigations and other investigations. Paul C. Gianelli, Independent Crime Laboratories: The…