OPINION DIGEST BEGINNING WITH 1999 TERM OF COURT

OPINION DIGEST BEGINNING WITH 1999 TERM OF COURT

Oct 2, 1998 – Current Term

(Last Updated May 7, 2008)

DISCLAIMER: The digest of opinions constitutes no part of the opinions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and it does not represent the official position of the Court. The digest has been prepared by a member of the Court’s staff for the convenience of the public. The digest summarizes key issues from the various opinions of the Court.

I. FIRST PRINCIPLES

A. Jurisdiction

1. Generally

2. In Personam

3. Subject Matter

4. Of Trial Court

5. Of Courts of Criminal Appeals

6. Of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

B. Constitutional Matters

1. Generally

2. Confessions

3. Confrontation

4. Cruel and Unusual Punishment

6. Due Process

10. Right to Present a Defense

11. Right to Jury Trial

12. Right to Speedy Trial

13. Search and Seizure

II. MILITARY JUSTICE PERSONNEL

A. Defense Function

1. Generally

2. Right to Counsel

3. Responsibilities

4. Detailed Military Counsel

5. Individual Military Counsel

6. Civilian Counsel

7. Appellate Counsel

8. Experts, Investigators – Appointment to Defense Team

9. Effective/Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

B. Prosecution Function

1. Generally

2. Trial Counsel

3. Discretion

4. Misconduct

C. Military Judge

1. Generally

2. Qualifications and Appointment of

3. Duties and Responsibilities

4. General Powers

5. Discretion

6. Instructions

7. Conduct/Misconduct

D. Court Members

1. Generally

2. Challenges for Cause

3. Eligibility/Selection

4. Enlisted Members

5. Impeachment of Verdict/Sentence

6. Interrogation by Members

7. Peremptory Challenges

8. President of Courts-Martial

9. Pretrial Publicity

E. Staff Judge Advocate

1. Generally

2. Pretrial Advice

3. Post-Trial Recommendation

4. Qualifications/Disqualifications

5. Responsibilities

F. Convening Authority

1. Generally

2. Referral

3. Immunity, Grants of

4. Clemency

5. Action

6. Disqualification

III. CORE CRIMINAL LAW SUBJECTS

A. Crimes

1. Article 77 – Principals

2. Article 78 – Accessory After the Fact

3. Article 79 – Conviction of Lesser Included Offenses

4. Article 80 – Attempts

5. Article 81 – Conspiracy

6. Article 82 – Solicitation

7. Article 83 – Fraudulent Enlistment, Appointment, or Separation

8. Article 84 – Effecting Unlawful Enlistment, Appointment, or Separation

9. Article 85 - Desertion

10. Article 86 – Absence Without Leave

11. Article 87 – Missing Movement

12. Article 88 – Contempt Toward Officials

13. Article 89 – Disrespect Toward a Superior Commissioned Officer

14. Article 90 – Assaulting or Willfully Disobeying Superior Commissioned Officer

15. Article 91 – Insubordinate Conduct Toward Warrant Officer, Noncommissioned Officer, or Petty Officer

16. Article 92 – Failure to Obey Order or Regulation

17. Article 93 – Cruelty and Maltreatment

18. Article 94 – Mutiny and Sedition

19. Article 95 – Resistance, Flight, Breach of Arrest, and Escape

20. Article 96 – Releasing Prisoner without Proper Authority

21. Article 97 – Unlawful Detention

22. Article 98 – Noncompliance with Procedural Rules

23. Article 99 – Misbehavior Before the Enemy

24. Article 100 – Subordinate Compelling Surrender

25. Article 101 – Improper Use of Countersign

26. Article 102 – Forcing a Safeguard

27. Article 103 – Captured or Abandoned Property

28. Article 104 – Aiding the Enemy

29. Article 105 – Misconduct as a Prisoner

30. Article 106 – Spies

31. Article 106a - Espionage

32. Article 107 – False Official Statements

33. Article 108 – Military Property of the United States – Sale, Loss, Damage, Destruction, or Wrongful Disposition

34. Article 109 – Property Other Than Military Property of the United States – Waste, Spoilage, or Destruction

35. Article 110 – Improper Hazarding of Vessel

36. Article 111 – Drunken or Reckless Operation of Vehicle, Aircraft, or Vessel

37. Article 112 – Drunk on Duty

38. Article 112a – Wrongful Use, Possession, etc., of Controlled Substances

39. Article 113 – Misbehavior of Sentinel or Lookout

40. Article 114 – Dueling

41. Article 115 – Malingering

42. Article 116 – Riot or Breach of Peace

43. Article 117 – Provoking Speeches or Gestures

44. Article 118 – Murder

45. Article 119 – Manslaughter

46. Article 119a – Death or Injury of an Unborn Child

47. Article 120 – Rape and Carnal Knowledge

48. Article 120a – Stalking

49. Article 121 – Larceny and Wrongful Appropriation

50. Article 122 – Robbery

51. Article 123 – Forgery

51a. Article 123a – Making, Drawing, or Uttering Check, Draft, or Order without Sufficient Funds

52. Article 124 - Maiming

53. Article 125 – Sodomy

54. Article 126 – Arson

55. Article 127 - Extortion

56. Article 128 – Assault

57. Article 129 - Burglary

58. Article 130 – Housebreaking

59. Article 131 – Perjury

60. Article 132 – Frauds Against the United States

61. Article 133 – Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and Gentleman

62. Article 134 – General Article

63. Article 134 – Abusing Public Animal

64. Article 134 – Adultery

65. Article 134 – Assault, Indecent

66. Article 134 – Assault, with Intent to Commit Murder, Voluntary Manslaughter, Rape, Robbery, Sodomy, Arson, Burglary, or Housebreaking

67. Article 134 - Bigamy

68. Article 134 – Bribery and Graft

69. Article 134 – Burning with Intent to Defraud

70. Article 134 – Check, Worthless, Making and Uttering –- by Dishonorably Failing to Maintain Funds

71. Article 134 – Cohabitation, Wrongful

72. Article 134 – Correctional Custody – Offenses Against

73. Article 134 – Debt, Dishonorably Failing to Pay

74. Article 134 – Disloyal Statements

75. Article 134 – Disorderly Conduct, Drunkenness

76. Article 134 – Drinking Liquor with Prisoner

77. Article 134 – Drunk Prisoner

78. Article 134 – Drunkenness - Incapacitation for Performance of Duties Through Prior Wrongful Indulgence in Intoxicating Liquor or any Drug

79. Article 134 – False or Unauthorized Pass Offenses

80. Article 134 – False Pretenses, Obtaining Services Under

81. Article 134 – False Swearing

82. Article 134 – Firearm, Discharging – Through Negligence

83. Article 134 – Firearm, Discharging – Willfully under such Circumstances as to Endanger Human Life

84. Article 134 – Fleeing Scene of Accident

85. Article 134 – Fraternization

86. Article 134 – Gambling with Subordinate

87. Article 134 – Homicide, Negligent

88. Article 134 – Impersonating a Commissioned, Warrant, Noncommissioned, or Petty Officer, or an Agent or Official

89. Article 134 – Indecent Acts or Liberties with a Child

90. Article 134 – Indecent Exposure

91. Article 134 – Indecent Language

92. Article 134 – Indecent Acts with Another

93. Article 134 – Jumping from Vessel into the Water

94. Article 134 – Kidnapping

95. Article 134 – Mail – Taking, Opening, Secreting, Destroying, or Stealing

96. Article 134 – Mails – Depositing or Causing to be Deposited Obscene Matters in

97. Article 134 – Misprision of Serious Offense

98. Article 134 – Obstructing Justice

99. Article 134 – Wrongful Interference with an Adverse Administrative Proceeding

100. Article 134 – Pandering and Prostitution

101. Article 134 – Parole, Violation of

102. Article 134 – Perjury – Subornation of

103. Article 134 – Public Record, Altering, Concealing, Removing, Mutilating, Obliterating, or Destroying

104. Article 134 – Quarantine: Medical, Breaking

105. Article 134 – Reckless Endangerment

106. Article 134 – Requesting Commission of an Offense

107. Article 134 – Restriction, Breaking

108. Article 134 – Seizure: Destruction, Removal, or Disposal of Property to Prevent

109. Article 134 – Self-injury without Intent to Avoid Service

110. Article 134 – Sentinel or Lookout – Offenses Against or By

111. Article 134 – Soliciting Another to Commit an Offense

112. Article 134 – Stolen Property: Knowingly Receiving, Buying, Concealing

113. Article 134 – Straggling

114. Article 134 – Testify: Wrongful Refusal

115. Article 134 – Threat or Hoax – Bomb

116. Article 134 – Threat, Communicating

117. Article 134 – Unlawful Entry

118. Article 134 – Weapon – Concealed, Carrying

119. Article 134 – Wearing Unauthorized Insignia, Decoration, Badge, Ribbon, Device, or Lapel Button

120. Article 134 – Miscellaneous – Clause 1, Clause 2, or Clause 3

B. Defenses

1. Generally

2. Affirmative Defenses

3. Accident

4. Defense of Property

5. Duress

6. Entrapment

7. Former Jeopardy

8. Gambler’s Defense

9. Impossibility

10. Innocent Ingestion

11. Innocent/Inadvertent Possession

12. Justification

13. Lack of Mental Responsibility

14. Mistake of Fact

15. Necessity

16. Self-Defense

C. Evidence

1. Generally

2. Accomplice Testimony

3. Authentication

4. Balancing

5. Character

6. Confessions and Admissions

a. Generally

b. Admission by silence

c. Article 31

d. Corroboration

e. Invocation of rights

f. Motions to suppress

g. Rule of completeness

h. Self-incrimination

i. Silence

j. Subsequent confessions

k. Voluntariness

l. Warnings

7. Credibility

8. Expert/Scientific Testimony

9. Hearsay

a. Generally

b. Adoptive Admissions

c. Business entries

d. Excited utterances

e. Medical exception

f. Public records and reports

g. Residual hearsay

h. State of mind

i. Statement against interest

10. Immunized Testimony

11. Impeachment

12. Inferences

13. Instructions on

14. Intent

15. Judicial Notice

16. Motive

17. Opinion Testimony

18. Other Acts

19. Plan or Design

20. Plea Negotiations

21. Polygraph

22. Prejudice

23. Prior Consistent Statements

24. Prior Convictions

25. Prior Inconsistent Statement

26. Privileges

a. Generally

b. Attorney-client

c. Classified information

d. Communications to clergy

e. Husband-wife privilege

f. Mental examination

g. Psychotherapist-patient privilege

27. Proffers

28. Public Records

29. Rebuttal

30. Relevance

31. Rule of Completeness

32. Scientific Evidence

33. Search and Seizure

a. Generally

b. Apprehension/arrest

c. Automobile exception

d. Bodily views and intrusions

e. Commanders

f. Consent

g. Derivative evidence

h. Exclusionary rule

i. Expectations of privacy

j. Good faith exception

k. Inevitable discovery

l. Investigatory stop

m. Neutral and detached

n. Plain view

o. Probable cause

p. Stop and frisk

q. Warrants

r. Wiretaps

34. Sexual Assault and Child Molestation

35. Stipulations

36. Summaries

37. Suppression

38. Transcripts of Audio Recordings

39. Uncharged Misconduct

40. Waiver

D. Witnesses

1. Ake Appointments

4. Experts

6. Oaths

8. Scope of Permissible Testimony

9. Sequestration

E. Burdens, Standards, Presumptions, Inferences

1. Trial Burdens, Standards

a. Generally

b. Affirmative defenses

c. Appointment of experts

d. Clergy privilege

e. Confessions and admissions

f. Consent to search

g. Immunity

h. Lack of mental responsibility

i. Lawfulness of orders/regulations

j. Marital privilege

k. Pretrial punishment

l. Proof, persuasion

m. Selection of members

2. Trial Presumptions, Inferences

3. Appellate Burden, Standards, etc.

a. Generally

b. Admission/suppression of evidence

e. Continuance

i. Selection of court members

4. Appellate Presumptions, Inferences

F. Motions, Generally

1. Pretrial

a. Generally

b. Severance

2. Merits

3. Burden

4. Standing

5. Motions to Dismiss

IV. TRIAL STAGES

A. Pretrial

1. Charges and Specifications

2. Competence of the Accused

3. Discovery

4. Investigations (Article 32)

5. Pretrial Advice

6. Pretrial Restraint

7. Pretrial Confinement

8. Pretrial Restriction

9. Pretrial Punishment

10. Motions

11. Referral

B. Merits

1. Pleas, generally

2. Guilty Pleas

3. Pretrial Agreements

4. Confessional Stipulations

5. Motions

6. Trial Procedures

a. Generally

b. Arraignment

c. Forum election

d. Oaths

e. Rebuttal

f. Voir dire

g. Withdrawal of charges

7. Multiplicity for Findings

8. Argument

9. Instructions

a. Generally

b. Lesser-included offenses

c. Affirmative defenses

d. Accomplice testimony

e. Divers occasions

10. Findings

11. Mistrial

12. New Trial

C. Sentence and Punishment

1. Evidence

2. Unsworn Statements

3. Argument

4. Capital Punishment

5. Credits

6. Multiplicity for Sentencing

7. Instructions

8. Lawfulness of Sentence

9. Cruel and Unusual Punishment

10. Forfeitures

a. Generally

b. Adjudged

c. Mandatory

11. Fine/Contingent Confinement

12. Mandatory

D. Post-Trial Hearings

1. Authority for

2. Findings and Rulings

3. DuBay/Factfinding Hearings

E. Initial Review

1. Generally

2. Preparation of Record of Trial

3. Authentication of Record of Trial

4. Post-Trial Recommendation

5. Post-Trial Submissions

6. Action

7. Clemency

8. Deferral

9. Revocation of Suspensions

10. Execution of Sentences

F. Writs and Interlocutory Appeals

1. Generally

2. Collateral Attack

3. Appropriateness of Forum

4. All Writs Act

5. Article 62 Appeal

G. Appeals

1. Generally

2. Courts of Criminal Appeals

a. Generally

b. Factual sufficiency

c. Sentence appropriateness

3. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

4. Cumulative Error

5. Invited Error/Open Door

6. Harmless/Prejudicial Error

7. Preservation of Error/Plain Error

8. Grostefon

9. Law of the Case

10. Remedies

a. Generally

b. Dubay/Factfinding

c. Evidentiary hearing

d. Rehearing

e. Remand

f. Sentence reassessment

11. Reconsideration

12. Scope of Review

13. Standards of Review, Burdens, etc.

14. Waiver

H. Petition for New Trial

1. Generally

2. Newly Discovered Evidence

3. Appellate Review

V. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS:

A. Command Influence

1. Generally

2. Members

3. Chain of Command

4. Burdens

B. Speedy Trial

1. Generally

2. Rule for Courts-Martial 707

3. Article 10

4. Sixth Amendment Right to Speedy Trial

5. Post-Trial

C. Manual for Courts-Martial

1. Generally

2. Force and Effect

D. Multiplicity and Lesser-Included Offenses

1. Generally

2. Lesser-Included Offenses

3. Multiplicity for Findings

4. Multiplicity for Sentencing

5. Unreasonable Multiplication of Charges

6. Tests

E. Nonjudicial Punishment (Article 15)

1. Generally

2. Charges Based on Prior Nonjudicial Punishment

F. Statutes, Treaties, Regulations, Executive Orders, Directives, etc.

1. Generally

2. United States Code

3. State Law/Statutes

4. Regulations

5. Executive Orders

G. Judicial Review

1. Generally

2. Standing

3. Political Questions

4. Administrative Issues

5. Stare Decisis

6. Advisory Opinion

H. Professional Responsibility/Ethics

1. Generally

2. Conflicts of Interest

I. Pretrial Publicity

1. Generally

2. Burdens

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