MORE ON GENERAL SINCLAIR AND THE PENDELTON JAG OFFICE ‘RAID’

Two items of recent interest regarding military Justice.

Army Times of 30 June reports that B/Gen Sinclair has been retired as an O-5 under the Officers Grade Determination Act process.   He pleaded guilty to a three-year affair with a female subordinate and received a reprimand and $20,000 fine.    His guilty plea, says Army Times, included adultery, maltreatment, improper relationship, willful disobedience of an order, wrongful use of the government travel card, possession of pornography, and conduct unbecoming an officer.

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 Meanwhile, a senior Marine prosecutor has been reassigned after the government search of JAG defense workspaces at Camp Pendleton, CA .

 There is more to the story.  According to the Marine Corps Times, the senior Marine defense attorney, an O-5, apparently denounced the office search to the Associated Press.  A sitting military judge noted that the O-5 defense JAG’s comments seemingly violated a Marine Corps ban on “extra-tribunal statements.”

Comment — perhaps Marine Corps accuseds should be cautioned by their  conscientious military defense attorneys. Something like this:  “I will do everything I can to defend you… but please remember – my hands are tied.  I cannot do certain things which would be perfectly acceptable if done by a civilian counsel.”