2005 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States
Headline: Amends Military Court Rules and Procedures for Service Members
What it does: The order amends the Manual for Courts-Martial as specified and makes those changes effective in 30 days.
- Capital courts-martial now require 12 members, with minimum five in other cases.
- Sealed trial exhibits and proceedings must be marked and restricted from casual viewing.
- Specifies 0.10 blood alcohol concentration as a prohibited level for some cases.
Summary
This order amends many sections of the Manual for Courts-Martial, changing rules on who serves on courts-martial, handling of sealed evidence, and several offenses. It inserts a new rule on sealed exhibits, adjusts member numbers for general and capital trials, and updates standards for drunken operation and related offenses.
Service members, military judges, counsel, and commanders are affected by the procedural and substantive changes. The amendments take effect 30 days after the order and specify non-retroactivity for prior actions.
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