Legal Pot is Still Illegal
That headline is confusing, isn’t it? Here’s what I mean: 1. Some states are now legalizing recreational marijuana sale and use. 2. If you are in the military, you still need to avoid state-allowed pot sales because possession, importing it to a military installation, sale, and use are still a crime in the military. States… Read More
The Changes are In
It is official, the UCMJ is changing, and alleged victims of sexual assault will no longer be required to testify at Article 32 hearings, dealing a huge blow to one of the most important tools for military lawyers who defend these types of cases. Via the Washington Post. Congress passed a broad set of changes… Read More
Things are about to get ugly for Army Captains and Majors
In the latest rounds of cuts, the Army plans to cut several thousand Company and Field Grade officers. These mid-range officers will be subject to administrative separation. No doubt, military lawyers will be watching these developments. It will be interesting to see if they pursue less-than-honorable characterizations for any with derogatory information. Stay tuned. Via… Read More
Gillibrand’s Reforms Appear to be Slipping Away
As stated before, military attorneys across the services are watching with great anticipation to see what changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice will be brought by the latest defense authorization bill. Now, it looks like the more radical reforms will not be considered, as Senator Gillibrand’s bill will fall procedurally short of a… Read More
Insight into British Military Law
If you’ve been following the murder trial in the UK concerning a Royal Marine, it provides an interesting insight into their court-martial system. More information can be found here.
Honorable Discharge: The Goal
We always try to allow someone to continue their career in the military. If that doesn’t work (or is impossible), then our goal is always an Honorable Discharge. Today, we are thrilled that a good person will receive one of those, despite being accused of fraudulent enlistment. This is great news for a military lawyer… Read More
Officer Elimination – Eliminated
We always celebrate here when a client gets a favorable result. Today is one of those days. Making the holiday season a bit more enjoyable for one of our clients, they will no longer need to stress over a pending administrative separation or board of inquiry. We are thrilled to see a good soldier be… Read More
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
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
