
The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces previously ruled in a 5-0 decision that service members are not entitled to unanimous verdicts, a right guaranteed to every citizen under the Constitution. As a result, military members may be convicted and prisoned even though a portion of the jury believed the member to be not guilty. The military criminal justice system only requires that three-quarters of a jury vote for guilt for the military member to be found guilty.
This issue is now ripe for Supreme Court review and Air Force Master Sgt. Anthony Anderson has petitioned the Supreme Court to do so, arguing that the lack of unanimity undermines the fairness of the proceedings. The outcome of this case has the potential to challenge long-standing precedent within the military justice system. This issue is of great significance as it raises questions about the fairness and due process afforded to service members within the military legal system.
In a recent interview, Don King, of King Military Law (KML), argued that the rationale for depriving military members of the same jury rights that our non-military citizens enjoy is outdated. See his comments here.
The lawyers at KML stands ready to assist service members facing courts-martial. With over a hundred years of combined military law experience, the team at KML can provide you the experience you need and deserve.
If you or a family member are involved in a general court-martial or any military legal matter, find an experienced military lawyer to assist you through the complexities. You CAN win!
King Military Law
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