1998 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States
Amends Military Court Rules Affecting Service Members' Trials Nationwide
What it does
Federal military authorities must amend and apply the Manual for Courts-Martial to implement the listed procedural and evidence rule changes.
Real-world impact
- Changes pretrial confinement review and release rules for accused service members.
- Adds new evidence rules in sexual assault and child-molestation trials.
- Permits limited waiver of forfeited pay to provide dependent support.
Topics
Summary
This order amends the Manual for Courts-Martial and updates many military trial rules. It revises pretrial confinement reviews, mental-competency hearings, appeals, sentencing deferments, and definitions related to classified information.
It also adds new evidence rules for sexual assault and child-molestation cases, creates a post-trial hearing for those found not guilty only by reason of lack of mental responsibility, and permits limited waivers of forfeited pay to support dependents.
These changes affect service members, commanders, military judges, accused persons, victims, and counsel by changing how courts-martial handle evidence, detention, and punishments.
Questions, answered
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