Defending Those Who Defend Us®
If you have recently been served a preferred charged sheet for a courts-martial or other military legal proceedings, such as an Article 32 Hearing, then you should be flanked by a local court-martial military lawyer who can best protect your rights and defend your integrity. Read more about court-martials below, or contact us today.
A courts-martial is a federal court convened by a Commanding Officer/General to adjudicate the alleged criminal misconduct of a military service member. Another way to understand court-martial is as the military’s version of a trial—in which other members of the military render a finding on a service member’s guilt or innocence, and any ensuing punishment. Depending on the severity of the charges, a courts-martial will take one of the following three forms:
A general court-martial is reserved for the most serious crimes, including murder, sexual assault, and high-dollar larceny and/or fraud. A Commanding Officer/General may refer such charges to a general court-martial because this type of proceeding has no maximum jurisdictional limitations on punishment. The jury at a general court-martial can punish as much as the criminal statute allows—and many criminal statutes calculate duration of confinement in decades rather than in years. A pretrial Article 32 hearing is required before charges can be referred to a general court-martial. Contact our military attorneys to learn more about general court-martials.
Special courts-martial usually handle criminal matters of a misdemeanor-type nature, such as a drug offense, simple assault, order violation, or unlawful absence. Punishment may not include confinement longer than one year. Though less grave than general courts-martial convictions, a special court-martial conviction will result in a criminal record for the military member and could have serious detrimental effects on career and benefits.
Summary courts-martial are generally uncontested administrative hearings, rarely offered unless the service member acknowledges misconduct. There is no judge or jury present at a summary court-martial; instead, a sole officer chosen by the Commanding Officer/General hears the matter and renders a decision on punishment. Outcomes can include confinement up to 30 days, but neither criminal conviction nor punitive discharge is permissible. Nonetheless, consequences of a summary court-martial decision can be serious, and a service member considering pleading guilty to one should seek legal counsel.