Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 10 : Section 827


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 827. Art. 27. Detail of trial counsel and defense counsel

      (a)(1) Trial counsel and defense counsel shall be detailed for
    each general and special court-martial. Assistant trial counsel and
    assistant and associate defense counsel may be detailed for each
    general and special court-martial. The Secretary concerned shall
    prescribe regulations providing for the manner in which counsel are
    detailed for such courts-martial and for the persons who are
    authorized to detail counsel for such courts-martial.
      (2) No person who has acted as investigating officer, military
    judge, or court member in any case may act later as trial counsel,
    assistant trial counsel, or, unless expressly requested by the
    accused, as defense counsel or assistant or associate defense
    counsel in the same case. No person who has acted for the
    prosecution may act later in the same case for the defense, nor may
    any person who has acted for the defense act later in the same case
    for the prosecution.
      (b) Trial counsel or defense counsel detailed for a general
    court-martial - 
        (1) must be a judge advocate who is a graduate of an accredited
      law school or is a member of the bar of a Federal court or of the
      highest court of a State; or must be a member of the bar of a
      Federal court or of the highest court of a State; and
        (2) must be certified as competent to perform such duties by
      the Judge Advocate General of the armed force of which he is a
      member.

      (c) In the case of a special court-martial - 
        (1) the accused shall be afforded the opportunity to be
      represented at the trial by counsel having the qualifications
      prescribed under section 827(b) of this title (article 27(b))
      unless counsel having such qualifications cannot be obtained on
      account of physical conditions or military exigencies. If counsel
      having such qualifications cannot be obtained, the court may be
      convened and the trial held but the convening authority shall
      make a detailed written statement, to be appended to the record,
      stating why counsel with such qualifications could not be
      obtained;
        (2) if the trial counsel is qualified to act as counsel before
      a general court-martial, the defense counsel detailed by the
      convening authority must be a person similarly qualified; and
        (3) if the trial counsel is a judge advocate or a member of the
      bar of a Federal court or the highest court of a State, the
      defense counsel detailed by the convening authority must be one
      of the foregoing.



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