Washington Code 38.38.260 – Detail of trial counsel and defense counsel
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(1)(a) Trial counsel and defense counsel shall be detailed for each general and special court-martial. Assistant trial counsel and assistant and associate defense counsel may be detailed for each general and special court-martial. The governor shall prescribe regulations providing for the manner in which counsel are detailed for such courts-martial and for the persons who are authorized to detail counsel for such courts-martial.
Terms Used In Washington Code 38.38.260
- Convening authority: includes , in addition to the person who convened the court, a commissioned officer commanding for the time being, or a successor in command. See Washington Code 38.38.004
- Judge advocate: means an officer of the army or air national guard designated as a judge advocate by the judge advocate general of the army or the judge advocate general of the air force. See Washington Code 38.38.004
- Military: refers to any or all of the armed forces. See Washington Code 38.38.004
- Military judge: means the presiding officer of a general or special court-martial detailed in accordance with RCW 38. See Washington Code 38.38.004
- Officer: means commissioned or warrant officer. See Washington Code 38.38.004
- person: may be construed to include the United States, this state, or any state or territory, or any public or private corporation or limited liability company, as well as an individual. See Washington Code 1.16.080
- State judge advocate: means the commissioned judge advocate officer responsible for supervising the administration of the military justice in the organized militia. See Washington Code 38.38.004
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(b) No person who has acted as investigating officer, military judge, or court member in any case may act later as trial counsel, assistant trial counsel, or, unless expressly requested by the accused, as defense counsel or assistant or associate defense counsel in the same case. No person who has acted for the prosecution may act later in the same case for the defense, nor may any person who has acted for the defense act later in the same case for the prosecution.
(2) Trial counsel or defense counsel detailed for a general court-martial:
(a) Must be a judge advocate who is a graduate of an accredited law school or is a member of the bar of a federal court or of the highest court of a state, or must be a member of the bar of a federal court or of the highest court of a state; and
(b) Must be certified as competent to perform such duties by the state judge advocate.
(3) In the case of a special court-martial:
(a) The accused shall be afforded the opportunity to be represented at the trial by counsel having the qualifications prescribed under subsection (2) of this section unless counsel having such qualifications cannot be obtained on account of physical conditions or military exigencies. If counsel having such qualifications cannot be obtained, the court may be convened and the trial held but the convening authority shall make a detailed written statement, to be appended to the record, stating why counsel with such qualifications could not be obtained;
(b) If the trial counsel is qualified to act as counsel before a general court-martial, the defense counsel detailed by the convening authority must be a person similarly qualified; and
(c) If the trial counsel is a judge advocate or a member of the bar of a federal court or the highest court of a state, the defense counsel detailed by the convening authority must be one of the foregoing.