Military lawyers to handle civilian crimes in DC

TheHill ^ | 8/21/2025 | Rebecca Beitsch

[AndyJackson]

Also, importantly they start getting trial experience at a very young age. Like all military officers you get tested with more responsibility than you can possibly imagine handling at a young age. You learn to handle it. You know like bing in charge of driving a nuclear submarine or flying a several hundred million dollar jet aircraft at age 24 or leading a platoon in combat.

[mass55th]

The Lincoln Conspirators were the first civilians to be tried by a military tribunal. None has occurred since then to my knowledge. According to military law, civilians may be tried by the military when Martial Law is in place. It remains to be seen if they will actually be tried by the military, perhaps just legally processed by military lawyers, then referred to City/Federal courts for trial and sentencing. I can see the RATS getting on this hot and heavy with the courts, depending on how it’s handled. Trump should just declare Martial Law in D.C., and all the other cities he plans to clean up for the duration Federal troops are involved. Then the military can be involved throughout the whole process to its end. But of course the RATS would sue over that too.

[mass55th]

"It’s mostly the prosecutor’s fault."

Very true. They either drop the charges, or reduce the level of severity of the crime so instead of a felony, it falls to a misdemeanor despite violence being involved. That's how they can claim that violent crime is down.

[Bruce Buckley]

A good friend was a ring knocker at West Point, then JAG and was the Chief of Military Justice for Central and South America [based in Panama before Carter gave it away].

As he says in general, “The military knows how to train up young dumb asses.”

The JAG School at UVA is top notch.

[Wuli]

I think a good many of the JAGs from the military are Left/Liberal by way of what propaganda they consumed getting their law degrees.

[AndyJackson]

It we just had activist right wing judges a district judge could have ordered Carter to take the Panama Canal right back.

[little jeremiah]

Thanks. I’m just checking in to FR now.

[little jeremiah]

This explains precisely when military tribunals can be used for civilians. Graham questioning Kavanaugh at his hearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOAkU_4iPYA
Graham asks Kavanaugh about Military Tribunals

[Joe 6-pack]

"Opinions or experiences with JAG officers from any other freeper vets?"

I was a former Military Police Officer and Provost Marshal so I probably had a little more interaction with Army JAG officers than most soldiers. Like any profession, you have a bell curve, with some exceptional, some poor, and a whole bunch in the middle.

If I was to characterize my impressions of the JAG Corps in a broad sweeping generality, it would be that on the day-to-day implementation and practice of UCMJ, they tended to be very sharp. If as a civilian I was ever in any legal trouble, I'd definitely consider a defense lawyer with JAG experience a big plus, and if the prosecutor trying to nail me was prior JAG, that would add to my level of concern.

When it came to guidance on laws of land warfare / rules of engagement, my impression was a little more jaded. They tended to view things on a very macro, abstract, theoretical level that very few were (again, in my experience) able to communicate in a manner that made a lot of sense down at the soldier level where it was to be implemented.

[Repeat Offender]

I wonder if they’ll get the same pansy JAGs that wanted to release confessed terrorists in Iraq.

[mass55th]

Thanks for the link. It would need to be seen if the Supreme Court would accept treating street criminals as enemies of the government, and allow them to be tried by military tribunals. Someone who conspires with the enemy against their own government...yes, that could be covered until military law, but your everyday street criminal, who is covered by the penal law in this country, I would think is a different story. That’s why the article I read, specifically noted that during Martial Law, civilian criminals can be prosecuted according to military law.

[oldbill]

Ignorant comment

[Night Hides Not]

Opinions or experiences with JAG officers from any other freeper vets?

From 83-84, I was a Headquarters Battery CO at Fort Bliss. There were five directorates whose soldiers were assigned to my Battery, including JAG. Never had a problem with them, got along exceptionally well with the Colonel in charge. Political correctness hadn't reared its head yet, that's probably why my experience differed with your notions.