ARMY COURT MARTIAL ATTORNEY TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS
Army court martial attorney, Joseph Jordan, aggressively represents service members in court-martial proceedings. A former Army Judge Advocate, he served the armed forces for eleven years, and has successfully defended soldiers in court-martial trials in military bases worldwide. Vastly experienced, Mr. Jordan brings with him a profound understanding of court-martial laws to passionately fight for the rights of service members.
THE BIRTH OF MILITARY JUSTICE IN THE U.S. ARMY
Military justice in the U.S. began with the American Articles of War. These were created by the legislature – a departure from the British system that formed the basis of the American law. Another radical feature of the articles was that they were subject to revision and change, in contrast to the immutable laws that governed misdemeanor or violations of military officers in other nations during the time. The weaknesses of the British system were not lost on America's Founding Fathers, who understood the need for maintaining due processes, along with encouraging discipline in the nation's armed forces.
THE UCMJ COMES INTO EFFECT
The UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) forms the foundation of the military justice system in the U.S. today. Created as a result of the eight-first Congress's attempts to have a unified justice system for the armed forces – army, air force, and navy – the UCMJ granted numerous rights to service members, but retained control over court-martial members' appointments. The commander stayed as the most important figure in military justice administration. However, the powers vested in the commander were significantly reduced, and the Congress added several checks to prevent abuse and outright despotism.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE UCMJ
Since it was first established in 1950, the UCMJ has undergone many revisions and amendments. In the years 1968 and 1983, there were substantive revisions made to the UCMJ.
The Congress passed the first Military Justice Act in 1968, which made it possible for service members to opt for being tried only by a judge from the military. The act also led to the creation of trial judiciary.
In August of 1983, the second Military Justice Act came into effect. It brought about important procedural changes in the system, and provided for appeals from the government to challenge verdicts by armed forces judges.
JAG CORPS: ISSUES AND ADVANCES
JAG (Judge Advocate Generals) Corps represent the legal branch of our armed forces. An integral part of the army, Judge Advocates have been rendering legal services for more than 230 years now. Today, about 1500 Judge Advocates are employed by the U.S. Army, while 3,000 find work as members of the Army Reserve. Although, they have provided excellent services to the nation, there's still much scope for improvement in different areas of the law. Sexual assaults have been a long-standing issue in the armed forces, and there are efforts underway to make the military justice system work better, particularly for the victims of these despicable crimes.
The Special Victims' Counsel (SVC) program, which consists of attorneys trained to work closely with victims of sexual assault and represent them in a court of law, is an initiative that aims to provide adequate legal support to sexual assault victims in the military, something sorely missing until now.
LEGAL COUNSEL FROM A PROFESSIONAL ARMY MILITARY DEFENSE ATTORNEY CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
If you or your loved one has been accused of committing a military crime, it's important that you hire a qualified army court martial attorney with a proven track-record and years of experience in handling court-martial trials. Through his extensive knowledge of the UCMJ and by drawing on his experience as an ex- Judge Advocate in the army, Mr. Jordan has helped defend the rights and freedom of many service members throughout the world. Whether you need help with an army sexual assault court martial, or have been charged with any other offense (s), Mr. Jordan can help.