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will grant leave or liberty to the person provided such
absence will not prejudice the best interests of the naval
service. If the member is being called as a witness for
a nongovernmental party only because of performance
of official duties, the CO is authorized to issue the
member permissive orders at no expense to the
government.
FLYERS, WORKSHEETS, SEATING
CHARTS, FORM FOR QUESTIONS BY
COURT MEMBERS
Depending upon your job assignment, you may be
required to prepare some or all of these additional
pretrial paper work matters. Some are prepared by the
court reporter and some by defense or trial paralegals.
However, it is essential that you have an understanding
of these important pretrial matters.
Flyers
When you type a flyer, list only those charges and
specifications that will be before the members. Check
with the TC before typing because there might be
changes to the charges and specification that you are not
aware of.
The flyer is prepared from the charge sheet before
the initial Article 39(a) session and contains all pending
charges and specifications.
The renumbering of specifications that you
provide to the members during preliminary
instructions or voir dire in partial or mixed plea cases
is not required because of the administrative problems
and needless confusion that would be created.
Instruct the members that they are not to speculate as
to why the charges and specifications are numbered
as they are. Use two separate flyers-one listing only
charges and specifications to be litigated on findings
and the other reflecting all the charges and
specifications to be presented to the members for
sentencing. If, in such circumstance, the DC desires
to inform the members of guilty plea specifications,
the record will show that the military judge asked for
the views of both counsel and that the DC chose to do
so for tactical considerations.
If a motion to dismiss or motion for appropriate
relief is granted and the charges are amended before
the seating of the panel, prepare a new flyer to reflect
the amended charges.
The panel members will
receive only those specifications and charges that the
accused is to be tried on. Figure 6-17 shows a sample
flyer.
Findings Worksheet
The MCM discusses the findings worksheet in
R.C.M. 921, Discussion. Ordinarily, a findings
worksheet is provided to the members as an aid to
putting the findings in proper form. If the military
judge examines any writing by the members, or
otherwise helps them to put findings in proper
form, this is done in open session and counsel is
given an opportunity to examine such a writing and
to be heard on any instructions the military judge
may give.
The findings worksheet is designed to assist the
president of a court-martial to properly announce the
findings of the court-martial in open session. During an
Article 39(a) session, before instructions and argument
on findings, counsel for both sides and the military judge
decide whether or not they feel that a lesser included
offense contained within the charged offenses has been
raised during the trial. After this Article 39(a) session,
if required, a modified findings worksheet is prepared
to reflect the decision of the court as to possible
exceptions and substitutions or violations of offenses
other than those charged.
The findings worksheet is generally prepared by the
TC who should take care that it is tailored to the
individual case.
(Format for findings is shown in
appendix 10 of the MCM.) A sample findings
worksheet is shown in figure 6-18. The worksheet is
marked as in appellate exhibit and attached to the record
of trial.
In preparing the worksheet, each specification is
addressed individually, as well as the charge. It is
proper to allow for acquittal of all charges and
specifications before allowing for conviction of all
charges and specifictions.
This is also true for
allowing the members to select Not Guilty before
Guilty so as not to show prejudice toward the guilt of
the accused.
If the accused pled to a lesser included offense, the
members must be informed of that plea since it admits
some essential elements that the government would
otherwise have to prove.
Do not enter findings in a
members trial on a lesser included offense plea unless
the prosecution does not intend to prove the greater
offense. If members will decide between the greater and
lesser offense, then tailor the worksheet to limit their
findings to those choices.
6-26
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