MILITARY LAW BLOG
SERIAL PODCAST EXPLORES BERGDAHL’S PAST
Should Bowe Bergdahl have been accepted into the Army? That is the question at the heart of most recent episodes of the Serial podcast (titled “Hindsight” Parts 1 and 2), in which Sarah Koenig and her team delve into Bergdahl’s childhood, his military aspirations, and even his state of mental health. As Stars and Stripes recaps, Bergdahl—who currently … Read more
THE TRUTH ABOUT FALSE CONFESSIONS
Since the start of 2016, millions of TV viewers have become enthralled with Netflix’s Making a Murderer docuseries. The 10-hour program chronicles the life of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who was found to be falsely convicted of a 1985 sexual assault—only to be charged with murder shortly after his release in 2003. In perhaps the most … Read more
BERGDAHL CASE SUSPENDED BY APPELLATE DOCUMENTS REVIEW
The Army Court of Criminal Appeals has suspended the much-anticipated litigation against embattled U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The ruling comes after prosecutors went to the court to review the decision of Col. Jeffery Nance, the Army judge that ordered them to turn over hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the defense. Last month, … Read more
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? SUMMARY OF CASE RESULTS FROM 2015
I wanted to take the opportunity and tell our former and perspective clients a summary of the successes for the Jordan UCMJ Law Group in 2015. Summaries of the below victories can be found on our Case Results Page. The summary below details wins in Court Martial Cases, Administrative Separation Board hearings, Board of Inquiries, Article … Read more
AIR FORCE ENFORCES NEW RE-ENROLLMENT RULES FOR FLUNKING AIRMEN
The Air Force has announced new re-enrollment protocols for airmen who have failed out of their professional military education. According to a memo posted by the Air University’s Education Support Center, airmen looking to re-enroll a second (or subsequent) time must receive written approval of a supervisor or commander to do so. As Air Force Times reports, … Read more
NEWEST SERIAL EPISODE DETAILS FLAWS IN BERGDAHL SEARCH
Another chapter of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s story has unfolded in the latest episode of Serial, “Meanwhile, in Tampa,” the fifth episode of the podcast’s second season. In the latest episode, host Sarah Koenig and her team focus on the many flaws that hampered the search for Bergdahl before his release in 2014. Following Bergdahl’s 2009 … Read more
SHOULD THE AIR FORCE RELEASE NAMES OF ACQUITTED AIRMEN?
Should the names of acquitted Air Force airmen be released to the public? That’s the question at the center of a new debate over privacy and military law protocol among officials and legal experienceds. As Air Force Times reports, the issue is a nuanced one. Currently, the names of all accused airmen appear on the Judge Advocate … Read more
BERGDAHL HEARING CONFRONTS PREJUDICE, SECURITY CONCERNS
The first pre-trial hearing in the case of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was held this week and, in short order, concerns over the upcoming court-martial were voiced by both the prosecution and defense. As Stars and Stripes reports, for the prosecution, there were concerns over the classified nature of documents the defense was requesting to prepare for the … Read more
THE BERGDAHL STORY CONTINUES TO UNFOLD ON “SERIAL”
This week, the U.S. Army announced that the court-martial of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will take place between August 8 and August 19 later this year. The scheduling of the trial comes at a time when public interest in Bergdahl’s case has never been higher as his story continues to unfold on the popular investigative podcast, … Read more
NEW PENTAGON BILL WOULD PROVIDE SWEEPING UCMJ REFORM
It’s been more than 30 years since there have been any amendments to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Department of Defense, however, is now looking to change that with a new bill, the Military Justice Act of 2016, which aims at improving sentencing guidelines, giving convicted troops better access to appellate actions, and … Read more
OUR FIRM HELPS A CLIENT GETS HIS WINGS BACK
In a case which is still pending, a client of Joseph L. Jordan, Attorney At Law has had his flight status restored. Our client was one of three Air Force instructor pilots who were grounded over a series of text messages they sent which referenced drug use. A PAINFUL MISUNDERSTANDING The text messages in question … Read more
SGT. BOWE BERGDAHL TO FACE COURT-MARTIAL
On December 14, the U.S. Army announced that it would indeed move forward with a court-martial against embattled Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. Bergdahl’s case, which is only gaining more and more national attention, had been in flux for months due to a long and thorough Article 32 hearing concerning the evidence against him. On June … Read more