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	SPECIAL COURTS-MARTIAL A special court-martial is the intermediate court level. It consists of a military judge, trial counsel (prosecutor), defense counsel, and a minimum of three officers sitting as a panel of court members or jury. An enlisted accused may request a court composed of at least one-third enlisted personnel. An accused, officer or enlisted, may also request trial by judge alone. Regardless of the offenses involved, a special court-martial sentence is limited to no more than twelve months confinement (or a lesser amount if the offenses have a lower maximum), forfeiture of two-third’s basic pay per month for twelve months, a bad-conduct discharge (for enlisted personnel), and certain lesser punishments. An officer cannot be tried at a special court-martial. You have the right to be represented by your appointed counsel and a civilian counsel of your choice. You have the right to plead not guilty. You have the right to testify on your own behalf or to not testify. Your choice to not testify can never be held against you. Click Here to Learn More About the Court-Martial Process

HADITHA
LCpl Justin Sharratt was one of four Marines charged with murder on December 21, 2006 in connection with the killing of 24 Iraqi men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq. It was the U.S. military's deadliest criminal case to emerge from the Iraq war. LCpl Sharratt faced a life sentence if convicted.

ISKANDARIYAH
On July 1, 2007 Army Sergeant Evan Vela, a Ranger qualified sniper with the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, was charged with the premeditated murder of an Iraqi who had compromised his team’s hide position in the Triangle of Death. Sergeant Vela faced a life sentence if convicted.

RAMADI
On June 25, 2006 the Army charged Specialist Nathan Lynn of the 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment with the wrongful killing of an Iraqi who was shot to death while moving tactically on SPC Lynn’s position. SPC Lynn was also charged with conspiracy for his alleged role in planting an AK-47 at the scene.

CHARLES JENKINS
In the early morning hours of January 5, 1965, Sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins deserted his U.S. Army unit in South Korea and walked across the DMZ to North Korea where he remained until 2004. When he escaped North Korea in the summer of 2004, he was charged with desertion and aiding the enemy and faced a possible life sentence.

MAHMUDIYAH
The Al-Mahmudiyah killings occurred on March 12, 2006 in a house located south of Baghdad, Iraq in which four United States soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division raped and murdered a 14 year-old Iraqi girl after murdering her mother, father and 5 year old sister. All four Soldiers faced the possibility of the death sentence.

JALALABAD
On March 4, 2007, a convoy of Special Operations Marines was attacked outside of Jalalabad, Afghanistan. They responded in self defense. After the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission issued a report stating that 12 civilians were killed and 35 wounded, the NCIS initiated an investigation

BAGHDAD
In the Spring of 2007, an infantry First Sergeant, a Platoon Sergeant, and the company medic executed four Iraqi detainees in South Baghdad. SSG Jesse Cunningham revealed the murders and erroneously became one of seven Army soldiers charged with the killings. He faced a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison.

The information on military courts-martial, military appeals, military parole and clemency, military boards of correction, military discharge upgrade, veterans administration claims, military administrative discharge hearings, and claims against the federal government under the federal tort claims act provided by this Military Defense Attorney /Law Firm website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, e-mails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice from these military attorneys/lawyers, for any individual case or situation, civilian or military. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute an attorney-client relationship with these U.S. military attorneys/lawyers for any civilian or military purpose, including military courts-martial, military appeals, military parole and clemency, military boards of correction, military discharge upgrade, veterans administration claims, military administrative discharge hearings, and claims against the federal government under the federal tort claims act. The attorney-client relationship with these military attorneys/lawyers will be formed when this office sends out an engagement letter, you (the client) sign and return that letter with the fee agreed upon by you and this office for one or both of these military attorneys/lawyers to represent you as your military attorney/lawyer at locations worldwide such as Fort Hood, Fort Bragg, Iraq, Quantico, Washington, DC, Fort Drum, Fort Stewart, Fort Lewis, Camp Pendleton, Camp LeJune, Schofield Barracks, Norfolk Naval Station, Fort Sam Houston, Fort Bliss, Germany, Korea, Iraq or Afghanistan. The civilian military defense attorneys/lawyers of this firm do not discriminate amongst the U.S. armed services and are prepared to represent U.S. military servicemen and servicemen from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and U.S. Coast Guard.

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SPECIAL COURTS-MARTIAL