Military Legal Matters
Sailor to be Tried for Attempted Murder of Fellow Sailor
NORFOLK, Va. – A sailor who was being treated for mental health issues and accused of stabbing another sailor at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center in 2014 will now be tried for attempted murder in military court, the Navy announced on Sep. 28, 2015. Petty Officer 3rd Class W. Harwell allegedly attacked Petty Officer 2nd Class J. Powell with a knife on June 6, 2014.
Attorney Jonathan Crisp Helps Acquit Maryland Man of Rape Accusations
Attorney Jonathan Crisp from Crisp and Associates, LLC has successfully defended a Maryland man against rape charges. The defendant was accused of raping a fellow National Guard member after a night of drinking at Fort Indiantown Gap in May 2014.
Can Jurisdiction Affect a Desertion Case?
Some have wondered if it makes a difference if a service member who is a deserter gets picked up by local, state, or military police. This is a valid question since how desertion ends greatly influences the term of confinement imposed upon the deserter.
Military Sexual Assault Reform Fails to Pass Senate
For two years in a row, a plan aimed at removing sexual assault crimes from the military justice system failed to pass the Senate. The measure was sponsored by New York Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and was backed by 49 other senators.
Retrial Set for Plymouth Native in Iraq War Crime Case
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – On June 08, 2015, a retrial was set to start for a Marine who was convicted in a high-profile court-martial involving the 2006 killing of an Iraqi civilian. Sergeant L. Hutchins III, a native of Plymouth, was scheduled to be tried again at Camp Pendleton in California, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Ethnic Slur Causes Air Force General’s Resignation
An offensive comment last month derailed an Air Force general’s career. Maj. Gen. M. Keltz said four words that weren’t taken lightly: “Drunker than 10,000 Indians. ”On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Air Education and Training Command confirmed the ethnic slur, which was first reported in a blog written by a former U.S
Judge Refuses to Lighten Mandatory Minimums for Former Blackwater Guards
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth refused to deviate from the mandatory minimum sentences that four former Blackwater security guards face for the 2007 shooting that injured dozens and killed 14 Iraqi civilians.
Soldier serving in Italy Retained Despite Government Argument that He Should Receive an Other than Honorable Discharge
Vicenza, Italy – April 2015, after a long and often heated battle with skilled Government counsel, Attorney Bryan DePowell of Crisp and Associates Military Law Division convinced a lawfully empaneled Administrative Separation Board to retain his client.
Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman
Under Article 133 of the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman is an offense that subjects a service member to a court martial. An “officer” is understood to include cadets, commissioned officers, and midshipmen of both sexes. Hence, the offense is often referred to as conduct unbecoming.
Murder
A Fort Hood soldier recently killed three people, including his 28-year-old wife, before turning the gun on himself – making this the third murder-suicide involving troops stationed at Fort Hood in less than a year. In recent years, Fort Hood has been the center of several gruesome incidents, with a total of 64 soldiers and civilians being injured or killed in mass shootings.
