A child molestation case in the Bell County court system more than a decade after the military closed it out took a bizarre turn Friday when a judge ruled the defense attorney must be removed because he could be a potential witness. Lamar Andre Smith, 41, now of Georgia, appeared before Judge Fancy Jezek of 426th District Court wearing an orange jail-issued jumpsuit on Friday, his attorney John Galligan to his left. On Jan. 11, 2000, the case was transferred from the district court in Bell County to the military where a general court-martial was scheduled. The case was ultimately resolved with a plea agreement that reduced Smith’s rank and gave him a bad conduct discharge from the Army. The decision made Smith ineligible for military retirement benefits. In an odd twist, the judge during that proceeding on Fort Hood was Galligan, now a retired colonel practicing as a defense attorney in Belton.

Arizona Star reports.

A Davis-Monthan airman accused of running a sham Russian bride ring was acquitted at his court-martial Friday. A military jury deliberated for seven hours before finding Staff Sgt. Aleksandr S. Ilin not guilty of all charges.

News of the Weird. . . . .

The Capital Flyer reports that, and I quote:

316 WG legal office doles out UCMJ punishment for nine infractions

A Freudian slip no doubt.

Salon reports that:

An Army reserve colonel on his second Afghanistan tour has been kicked out of that country for writing an editorial about how much he hates PowerPoint.

And . . . .

Dr. Conspiracy appears to have a copy of the check by Orly Taitz paying her fine for Rhodes v. MacDonald.