Courts-Martial Proceedings
By Guy L. Womack & Associates
Apr. 22, 2011 2:31p
A court-marital or courts-martial is a military court. Members of the armed forces are subject to military law and a court martial has the power and authority to determine the guilt of those members. A court-martial involves a presiding judge, a prosecutor and the defense and a panel of officers acting as a jury. Courts-martial here in the states are criminal trials, which are conducted by the U.S. military.
Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), there are three categories of courts-marital and they are: summary, special and general. Each category is in a class of its own, and the penalties for each are separate from one another. Within any court martial, the Military Rules of Evidence will be applied to all three categories, and an accused must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Courts-martial have the authority to try both military crimes and a wide range of other offenses which closely resemble civilian crimes such as theft, fraud or perjury. Military offenses are defined in the United States under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The offenses listed include their corresponding punishments and extensive instructions on how to perform a court-martial for them.
Courts-martial are conducted in order to try members of the U.S. military who are suspected to be in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which is the U.S. military’s criminal code. All members of the armed forces are expected to follow and adhere to the UCMJ, and where they fail to do so, they are subject to a court-martial.
Are You Facing Courts-Martial?
Depending on the facts surrounding your case, you may be facing either a summary, special or general courts-martial, with general being the most severe. You could be facing dismissal, pay forfeiture, dishonorable discharge, and labor without confinement, imprisonment or in the most serious cases, the death penalty.
When you are facing courts-martial, it is extremely important that you hire a courts-martial attorney who deals in military law. As a former Lieutenant Colonel and with nearly 30 years experience in handling these types of cases, you can rest assured that military law attorney Guy L. Womack has the experience necessary to defend your legal rights. Contact a courts-martial lawyer from Guy L. Womack & Associates, P.C. for the legal representation you deserve.
Contact a courts-martial attorney from our firm for a free initial case evaluation.
