Military Law

Lawyer Who Backs Easier Bar Admission for Military Spouse JDs Is Contest Finalist

A lawyer who founded a support network for military spouses with law degrees is one of 30 finalists in a competition for military spouse of the year. Mary Reding, co-founder of the Military Spouse JD Network, is one of five finalists in a category for spouses of National Guard members.…

Jan 20, 2012 11:30 AM CST

Marine Urination Video Could Be Evidence of a War Crime, Official Says

A video posted on YouTube and TMZ purporting to show U.S. Marines urinating on dead bodies could be evidence of war crimes, according to an unnamed Marine Corps official. The Marine Corps is trying to determine whether the video is authentic, CNN reports. It shows four men dressed in Marine…

Jan 12, 2012 4:07 PM CST

Polish Prosecutor Shoots Himself After Abruptly Ending a News Conference

A Polish military prosecutor is likely to recover after he abruptly ended a news conference today and then shot himself in the head minutes later while alone in his office. Reporters who heard the gunshot found Mikolaj Przybyl lying in a pool of blood, Reuters and the Associated Press report.…

Jan 9, 2012 3:01 PM CST

ABA President Calls for Probe of Attorney-Client Privilege Violations at Guantanamo

ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III is urging U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to reverse a new Guantanamo policy that appears to violate attorney-client privilege. In a letter to Panetta dated Dec. 21, Robinson says lawyers for detainees are reporting that their privileged attorney-client communications are being intercepted and…

Dec 22, 2011 6:36 PM CST

New York Times Sues Justice Department for Legal Memo Approving Targeted Killing

The New York Times claims in a lawsuit that the U.S. Justice Department has failed to provide records on the legality of targeted killing as required by the Freedom of Information Act. The suit seeks a secret memo authorizing the targeted killing of American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, according to the…

Dec 22, 2011 3:20 PM CST

Eight US Service Members Charged in Apparent Suicide Death of Fellow Soldier Who Told of Bullying

Eight U.S. service members in Afghanistan are facing charges in connection with the death of another soldier who apparently committed suicide after telling his parents of bullying. Danny Chen, 19, died in a guard tower on Oct. 3 from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, report the Washington Post and Stars…

Dec 21, 2011 1:15 PM CST

Obama to Sign Bill Authorizing Indefinite Detention; Holder Stayed on the Sidelines

President Obama has indicated he will sign a bill that allows indefinite detention of terrorism suspects and gives prosecution authority to the military. Obama had threatened to veto the bill, but changed his mind after amendments addressed his concerns, the New York Times reports. Attorney General Eric Holder “took an…

Dec 16, 2011 3:43 PM CST

Judge Rebukes Lawyers for Rowdy Conduct in Controversial Case, Questions Safety of Courtroom Chairs

A judge in Sri Lanka expressed shock over the rowdy behavior of some lawyers in a packed courtroom last week after an unpopular ruling, saying that their proper remedy was an appeal rather than taking out their frustration on courthouse chairs. Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundera also urged attorneys…

Nov 22, 2011 8:56 PM CST

Tort Claims Allege Army Ignored Warning Signs About Psychiatrist Before Fort Hood Attacks

Administrative claims seeking $750 million in compensation for the Fort Hood attacks allege the federal government put political correctness over safety by failing to take pre-emptive action against the Army psychiatrist later accused in the mass shooting. Eighty-three people—including survivors and family members of victims—have filed claims under the Federal…

Nov 11, 2011 5:35 PM CST

DOJ Investigates Ex-CIA General Counsel Rizzo for Drone Disclosures in Newsweek

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating former CIA acting general counsel John Rizzo because of disclosures he made about the agency’s drone program to Newsweek magazine. Rizzo, who retired from the CIA in 2009, gave an on-the-record interview to Newsweek for a February story about how the CIA picks human…

Nov 11, 2011 1:20 PM CST

Appeals Court Hears Case of Ex-Gitmo Prosecutor Fired by Library of Congress for Op-Eds

A federal appeals court on Thursday considered the First Amendment case of Guantanamo’s former chief prosecutor, who was fired by the Library of Congress for his “provocative tone” in two newspaper opinion pieces. A lawyer from the American Civil Liberties Union argued on behalf of retired Air Force Col. Morris…

Nov 11, 2011 12:30 PM CST

The Battle on the Home Front: Special Courts Turn to Vets to Help Other Vets

Photo of Judge Robert Russell by Jennifer S. Altman. When Assistant District Attorney Ray Herman first became involved with Buffalo, N.Y.’s alternative treatment program for military veterans who’d found themselves on the wrong side of the law, he had his doubts. “The whole program seemed a little—I don’t know—touchy-feely,” says…

Nov 1, 2011 10:10 AM CDT

A Debt of Gratitude: ABA Pledges to Help Veterans in Overcoming Legal Obstacles

On Nov. 11, some children will delight in a day off from school. Shoppers around the country will head to the mall to take advantage of holiday sales. Libraries, banks and courts will close. But whatever our activities, we should remember and be grateful for all Americans who have made…

Nov 1, 2011 9:40 AM CDT

Supreme Court Will Hear Free Speech Dispute over Law Banning Lies About Military Medals

Corrected: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a federal law banning lies about earning military medals violates the First Amendment. The justices will consider the case of Xavier Alvarez of Pomona, Calif., a water district official who falsely said at a public meeting that he was a…

Oct 17, 2011 3:56 PM CDT

Ex-Prosecutor Sues, Says USERRA Required Baltimore to Rehire Him After Reserve Training

A former prosecutor has sued the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, contending that its failure to rehired him after he completed military training for the U.S. Army Reserve violated the U.S. Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Capt. Andrew Gross, 28, also named the city of Baltimore as a defendant in…

Sep 21, 2011 4:46 PM CDT