Veterans Courts: A Step In the Right Direction
40 states now have veterans courts as part of their civilian justice systems. These aren’t military courts with military lawyers, but civilian courts with civilian prosecutors and defense attorneys, and they are designed to help those who are still coping with post-service and post-deployment mental and emotional problems. Via WaPo: Former Marine Cpl. Eric Gonzales… Read More
USA Today OpEd on UCMJ Reform
Military lawyers are standing by, knowing that reform to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and court-martial procedure is coming soon. We are not considering whether there will be a change, but what will be the extent of the change. Some are calling for a complete abolition of command control over the court-martial process. This… Read More
Court-Martial Begins for Former Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
The last few years have seen some enhanced scrutiny of military sexual assaults and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This was one of the noteworthy cases that added fuel to the fire, causing congress to move forward this year with radical proposals for UCMJ reform. It was largely overblown and used as an example… Read More
Immigration Law Help
In addition to military lawyers who help with courts-martial, discharge upgrade, administrative separations, and other obvious military law matters, The Mayer Group provides representation for service members with immigration law issues. Immigration laws disproportionately affect military members, but there are many benefits for service members that are not available to nonmembers. Thankfully, the rules and… Read More
Lessons Learned from Recent Discharge Review Board Case
Just a few notes from the latest discharge review board case in Washington, DC. A case before a discharge review board should take an experienced military lawyer 15-30 hours of dedicated man hours. 75% or more is spent in preparation. Like any other legal case, issue-spotting is crucial to success. Having a lawyer who understands… Read More
Army To Initiate Discharge Proceedings Against All Convicted Sex Offenders
Yesterday, the Army Times reported the following: The secretary of the Army has issued an order to round up all convicted sex offenders in the service “as soon as possible” and initiate proceedings for their discharge from the Army. The move is part of the Army’s campaign against sex assault in the service. Soldiers convicted… Read More
Possible Changes to UCMJ Article 32
One of the most important aspects of a General Court-Martial is the requirement that an investigation pursuant to Article 32, UCMJ occur before the referral of charges. This is a longstanding rule, known well to military lawyers throughout the services. However, it is poised to change. Currently, it serves several important purposes, these include: 1…. Read More
Discharge Upgrade Services and Representation
Discharge upgrade cases can be confusing to those who are not experienced with the process and procedures. Every case is different, and every person’s needs are different. We try to accommodate those varying needs by offering a variety of solutions for discharge upgrade cases. Please contact us for more information on these services and pricing…. Read More
Cause for Celebration – Discharge Upgrade
Discharge upgrade cases are tricky. A lot depends on advocacy, issue-spotting, and board composition. Sometimes, luck plays more of a role than we care to admit. Either way, our goal is always to place our clients in a position to maximize their chances at obtaining a good or great result. This week is one of… Read More
A Word About Article 32 Hearings Prior To General Courts-Martial
In the wake of the Article 32 investigation for 3 Naval Academy Midshipmen, many advocates used the long and detailed cross examination by defense attorneys as a rallying point to advocate for a completely revamped system for determining whether reasonable grounds (essentially probable cause) exist to send more serious cases, those facing greater than 1… Read More
