Hasan’s Beard Is Again a Topic as New Military Judge Takes Bench in Fort Hood Massacre Case

All eyes were on the new military judge in charge of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s capital murder case on Tuesday as the former Army psychiatrist was wheeled into a court-martial hearing. His controversial beard, which helped persuade a military appeals court to replace the former judge overseeing the Fort Hood…

Dec 18, 2012 7:49 PM CST

Supreme Court Considers International Custody Dispute Involving Army Sergeant

The U.S. Supreme Court considered on Wednesday whether an Army sergeant’s appeal in a custody dispute is moot because the child has already left the country with her mother. U.S. Army Sgt. Jeff Chafin wants to appeal a district court order that his daughter, Eris, should be returned to Scotland…

Dec 6, 2012 4:10 PM CST

Appeals Court Ousts Beard-Banning Judge in Case of Fort Hood Suspect

The military’s top court has removed the judge who ordered Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan to shave his beard or be forcibly shaven. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces removed Col. Gregory Gross, the chief circuit judge at Fort Hood, from Hasan’s case on Monday, the…

Dec 4, 2012 1:17 PM CST

King Coal’s Violent Reign: Century-Old Labor Strife Still Raises Constitutional Questions

Dec 1, 2012 11:10 AM CST

ACLU Suit Seeks to End Ban on Women in Direct Combat

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of four military servicewomen that challenges the ban on women in direct combat. The suit filed in San Francisco on Tuesday alleges the ban violates the right to equal protection. The “categorical exclusion of the individual plaintiffs and all…

Nov 28, 2012 1:55 PM CST

Ex-Navy Lawyer Is Disbarred for Sending Secret Names of Gitmo Detainees to Legal Group

The Kansas Supreme Court has disbarred a former Navy lawyer who mailed a classified list of Guantanamo detainees to the Center for Constitutional Rights. A majority of the court supported disbarment for Matthew Diaz, while a minority would have imposed an indefinite suspension, according to the opinion (PDF). Diaz had…

Nov 26, 2012 12:15 PM CST

Reports: FBI Was Looking for Classified Documents During Search of Paula Broadwell’s Home

A search Monday night of Paula Broadwell’s home in North Carolina was undertaken by the FBI, with her consent, in an effort to determine what classified documents she had in her possession, according to articles in the ABC News and the Washington Post. They rely on unidentified sources. Described as…

Nov 14, 2012 7:59 PM CST

Paula Broadwell Lawyers Up

Updated: As details continue to emerge about a federal investigation of hostile email reportedly sent by Paula Broadwell to a woman whose family is friendly with ex-CIA director David H. Petraeus and his wife, there is news that Broadwell, a high-achieving West Point graduate who co-authored a biography about the…

Nov 12, 2012 10:50 PM CST

Rare Sex-Crimes Case re US General May Be Derailed by Prosecution’s Access to His Email with Counsel

Just as an Article 32 military hearing was about to get under way concerning evidence that could be used in an unusual criminal case against a U.S. Army general concerning his sexual conduct with subordinates at American military bases and abroad, a major issue has come to light. Contrary to…

Nov 5, 2012 10:33 PM CST

Ex-Navy Lawyer Who Gave Detainee Names to Legal Group Fights for His Law License

A former Navy lawyer who mailed a classified list of Guantanamo detainees to the Center for Constitutional Rights is fighting for his law license. The Kansas Supreme Court will hear arguments today on a recommended three-year suspension for Matthew Diaz, the Associated Press reports. The suspension would be retroactive to…

Oct 25, 2012 1:20 PM CDT

As DC Circuit Weighs the Future of Guantanamo Inmates, Some Say Judicial Review Can Harm Military

Oct 1, 2012 10:10 AM CDT

Detention Policies: What Role for Judicial Review?

Oct 1, 2012 9:59 AM CDT

October 28, 1867: Medicine Lodge Treaty Is Signed

Oct 1, 2012 5:10 AM CDT

Coast Guard Lawyer, Women’s Bar Pioneer Dies at Age 98

A Chicago woman who wanted to join the military effort during World War II, but couldn’t because of her gender and became a lawyer for the Coast Guard instead, has died at the age of 98. Etha “Bea” Fox was denied military service because women were barred from combat at…

Sep 26, 2012 11:15 AM CDT

Top Oregon Court Tells Judge to Postpone Soldier’s Probation While He’s Deployed in Afghanistan

The Oregon Supreme Court has ordered a Washington County judge to postpone the probation of an U.S. Army Reserve member so that he can deploy with his unit to Afghanistan without violating the conditions of his probation. In a ruling Friday, the state’s top court ordered Judge Gayle Nachtigal to…

Sep 14, 2012 7:51 PM CDT