Connecticut General Statutes 27-179 – Censure of court or member, coercion prohibited
(a) No authority convening a general, special or summary court-martial nor any other commanding officer, or officer serving on the staff thereof, shall censure, reprimand, or admonish the court or any member, military judge, or counsel thereof, with respect to the findings or sentence adjudged by the court, or with respect to any other exercise of its or his functions in the conduct of the proceeding. No person subject to this code shall attempt to coerce or, by any unauthorized means, influence the action of the court-martial or any other military tribunal or any member thereof, in reaching the findings or sentence in any case, or the action of any convening, approving, or reviewing authority with respect to his judicial acts. The foregoing provisions of this subsection shall not apply with respect to (1) general instructional or informational courses in military justice if such courses are designed solely for the purpose of instructing members of a command in the substantive and procedural aspects of courts-martial, or (2) statements and instructions given in open court by the military judge, president of a special court-martial, or counsel.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 27-179
- Code: means this chapter. See Connecticut General Statutes 27-141
- Commanding officer: includes only commissioned officers. See Connecticut General Statutes 27-141
- Grade: means a step or degree, in a graduated scale of office or military rank, that is established and designated as a grade by law or regulation. See Connecticut General Statutes 27-141
- Military: refers to any or all of the armed forces. See Connecticut General Statutes 27-141
- Military judge: means an official of a general or special court-martial appointed in accordance with section 27-167. See Connecticut General Statutes 27-141
- Officer: means commissioned or warrant officer. See Connecticut General Statutes 27-141
- State military forces: means the National Guard of the state, as defined in Section 101(3) of Title 32, United States Code, the organized naval militia of the state, and any other military force organized under the laws of the state and shall include the organized militia as defined in section 27-2. See Connecticut General Statutes 27-141
(b) In the preparation of an effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency report or any other report or document used in whole or in part for the purpose of determining whether a member of the state military forces is qualified to be advanced in grade, or in determining the assignment or transfer of a member of the state military forces, or in determining whether a member of the state military forces should be retained on duty, no person subject to this chapter may, in preparing any such report (1) consider or evaluate the performance of duty of any such member of a court-martial; or (2) give a less favorable rating or evaluation of any member of the state military forces because of the zeal with which such member as defense counsel represented any accused before a court-martial.
(c) Any person who violates this section shall be punished as a court-martial directs.