Court-Martial Trial Practice

All were submitted on their merits. All except one was a straight legal affirmance. In United States v. Carney, the court themselves found two errors that needed to be corrected. The convening authority failed to suspend the bad conduct discharge as agreed in a pretrial agreement, and a multiplicity issue was reviewed for plain error…

WWAY NewsChannel 3 reports: Twenty-one-year-old Private Jonathan Law is in custody for the murder of another Marine early Friday morning. Officials still have their own questions regarding the incident, and are saying little about what they do know. ENC Today.com reports that Pvt Law have attempted suicide.

Azcentral.com reports that: A U.S. Airman stationed in England is facing a court martial at Luke Air Force Base over charges that he smothered his 11-month old son.

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…

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…

CAAFLog has this interesting post and question about a new (?) clause in standard Navy PTA’s that remove good time credit. This Agreement constitutes my request for, and the convening authority’s approval of, deferment of all confinement suspended pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and deferment for the days of “good time” (as defined…

Robert Don Gifford has provided an update on the Behenna case. The entire Oklahoma congressional delegation signed a letter for clemency on his behalf. Recent radiocast from Tulsa radio morning program by host Pat Campbell The Director of the Northeast Intelligence Network, Douglas J. Hagmann, writes, ” The analysis of the forensic evidence alone should…

As tallied by NBC News and the Associated Press (and me), they include: Sept 13, 2009: SPC Beyshee Velez shoots civilian contractor at COB Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq. In pretrial confinement at Ford Island Naval Brig, Pearl Harbor, pending an Article 32, UCMJ, hearing. July, 20, 2009: Fort Hood officials have a soldier behind bars after…

Stars & Stripes on FORT HOOD, Texas — A soldier believed to be a trauma psychiatrist opened fire at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday, unleashing a stream of gunfire that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and apprehended two other soldiers suspected in what appears…

AP reports: A soldier opened fire at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday, unleashing a stream of gunfire that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and apprehended two other soldiers suspected in what appears to be the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base.