Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s defense counsel has released documents to the press this week in an effort to quell the negative publicity surrounding his upcoming court-martial. The documents, which include debriefing interviews with Bergdahl with Army officials following his 2014 rescue, detail his rationale behind leaving his Afghanistan post in 2009. As Army Times reports, Bergdahl believed that … Read more
Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Soldier who was convicted of a litany of crimes as the orchestrator of the infamous 2010 “kill team” murders, has just been granted an appeal hearing. As Stars and Stripes reports, the hearing has been granted by the Army Court of Criminal Appeals based on the submission of new evidence. … Read more
The Guantanamo war court has assigned a new judge to the long-delayed case of terrorism suspect Majid Khan. Army Col. Tara A. Osborn, who recently gained notoriety for handling the Fort Cavazos (Fort Hood) spree shooting case, will now oversee Khan’s forthcoming guilty plea, currently scheduled for 2019. As the Miami Herald reports, Khan (who is currently … Read more
There has been a new development in the battle to release certain classified documents to Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s defense counsel before his upcoming court-martial: Attorney Eugene R. Fidell has filed suit against the Department of Defense, claiming that his Freedom of Information Act request to receive the documents has been purposefully delayed. Bergdahl’s legal team … Read more
Whether in War or in a Criminal trial, you never want the power of the United States Government turning its attention on you. An issue has been percolating in my mind for that last few years: “Is the American Military Justice really interested in fairness?” Recent events have demonstrated to me a stark imbalance: the … Read more
The White House’s “It’s on us” campaign to raise sexual abuse awareness of U.S. campuses struck a more specific tone on its first stop at the U.S. Naval Academy earlier this month. There, Vice President Joe Biden linked the fighting of sexual abuse in the military to the honor and responsibility expected of those who … Read more
Earlier this month, the American Psychological Association published a study that concluded that male-on-male sexual assault in the military was occurring at an alarming, previously unthought-of rate. Now, the study, which appeared in the journal Psychological Services, has been retracted due to findings that the APA is calling “compromised.” As Military Times reports, the initial … Read more
Last week, the Oklahoma Bar Association hosted Attorney Joseph Jordan at the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Inn of Court. Attorney Jordan was invited to enlighten the local legal community on the critical differences between civilian and military trials and the best practices in preparing defense strategies for a Court Martial. Attorney Jordan’s presentation counted as a … Read more
Following allegations that it has wrongly discharged thousands of soldiers suffering from PTSD and TBI for misconduct, the U.S. Army has announced a new review of its separation policies. As Military Times reports, the new investigation was spurred by a dozen senators who publicly called for an evaluation. The move stems from an investigative report … Read more
Following a startling AP report on the prevalence of child sex abuse in the military, experts and officials are reiterating the importance of establishing a new reporting system signed into law earlier this year. The system, which is expected to be operational by mid-2016, is aimed at closing disturbing loopholes in sex offender registration for … Read more