Chapter V · Court-Martial Composition and Personnel; Convening Courts-Martial
R.C.M. 503. Detailing members, military judge, and counsel, and designating military magistrates
2024 Manual for Courts-Martial, United States · Last updated
See all changes(a) Members.
(1) In general. The convening authority shall—
(A) detail qualified persons as members for courts-martial in accordance with the criteria described in Article 25; revised · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(i) in a capital general court-martial, at least 24 detailed members for randomization; revised · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(ii) in a non-capital general court-martial, at least 16 detailed members for randomization; revised · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(iii) in a special court-martial, at least 8 detailed members for randomization; or new · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(iv) where a convening authority determines it to be impracticable to meet the requirements of R.C.M. 503(a)(1)(B)(i)-(iii) due to exceptional circumstances, a sufficient number of detailed members to allow for the randomization process in R.C.M. 911. Exceptional circumstances include circumstances in which the minimum required numbers of detailed members are not available due to a military necessity or exigency; new · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(C) consult with the servicing staff judge advocate prior to making a determination under R.C.M. 503(a)(1)(B)(iv) that it is impracticable to meet the requirements of R.C.M. 503(a)(1)(B)(i)-(iii); revised · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
Discussion
The following persons are subject to challenge under R.C.M. 912(f) and should not be detailed as members: any person who is, in the same case, an accuser, witness, preliminary hearing officer, or counsel for any party or witness; any person who, in the case of a new trial, other trial, or rehearing, was a member of any court-martial which previously heard the case; any person who is junior to the accused, unless this is unavoidable; or any person who is in arrest or confinement. The convening authority should detail a sufficient number of qualified persons to allow for the randomization process in R.C.M. 911. A military judge may not impanel alternate members unless expressly authorized by the convening authority. See Article 29. The procedure to be used by the military judge to impanel members and alternate members is specified in R.C.M. 912A.
(D) document in writing any determination under R.C.M. 503(a)(1)(B)(iv) that exceptional circumstances exist, pursuant to procedures prescribed by the Secretary concerned; new · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(i) authorized to impanel a specified number of alternate members; or new · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(ii) authorized to impanel alternate members only if, after the exercise of all challenges, excess members remain; and new · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(F) provide a list of the detailed members to the military judge to randomize in accordance with R.C.M. 911. new · Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024)
(2) Member election by enlisted accused. An enlisted accused may, before assembly, request orally on the record or in writing that the membership of the court-martial to which that accused’s case has been referred be comprised entirely of officers or of at least one-third enlisted members. If such a request is made, the court-martial membership must be consistent with the accused’s request unless eligible members cannot be obtained because of physical conditions or military exigencies. If the appropriate number of members cannot be obtained, the court-martial may be assembled and the members impaneled, and the trial may proceed without them, but the convening authority shall make a detailed written explanation why such members could not be obtained which must be appended to the record of trial.
Discussion
When an enlisted accused makes a request for either all-officer members or at least one-third enlisted members, the convening authority may need to: (1) Detail an additional number of officers or enlisted members to the court-martial and, if appropriate, relieve an appropriate number of officers or enlisted persons previously detailed; (2) Withdraw the charges from the court-martial to which they were originally referred and refer them to a court-martial which includes the proper proportion of officers or enlisted members; or (3) Advise the court-martial before which the charges are then pending to proceed in the absence of officers or enlisted members if eligible officers or enlisted members cannot be detailed because of physical conditions or military exigencies. When the accused elects one-third enlisted members, the military judge must ensure there are at least two enlisted members for a special court-martial and at least three enlisted members for a non-capital general court-martial. There must be at least two enlisted members in a general court-martial where the number of members falls to six as a result of excusals after impanelment. See Article 29.
(3) Members from another command or armed force. A convening authority may detail as members of general and special courts-martial persons under that convening authority’s command or made available by their commander, even if those persons are members of an armed force different from that of the convening authority or accused.
Discussion
Concurrence of the proper commander may be oral and need not be shown by the record of trial. Members should ordinarily be of the same armed force as the accused. When a court-martial composed of members of different armed forces is selected, at least a majority of the members should be of the same armed force as the accused unless impracticable. For purposes of this non-binding policy, members of the Department of the Air Force are treated as being in the same armed force.
(4) This subsection does not apply to charges referred to a special court-martial consisting of a military judge alone under Article 16(c)(2)(A).
(b) Military judge.
(1) By whom detailed. The military judge shall be detailed, in accordance with regulations of the Secretary concerned, by a person assigned as a military judge and directly responsible to the Judge Advocate General or the Judge Advocate General’s designee. The authority to detail military judges may be delegated to persons assigned as military judges. If authority to detail military judges has been delegated to a military judge, that military judge may detail himself or herself as military judge for a court-martial.
(2) Record of detail. The order detailing a military judge shall be reduced to writing and included in the record of trial or announced orally on the record at the court-martial. The writing or announcement shall indicate by whom the military judge was detailed. The Secretary concerned may require that the order be reduced to writing.
(3) Military judge from a different armed force. A military judge from one armed force may be detailed to a court-martial convened in a different armed force, a combatant command or joint command when permitted by the Judge Advocate General of the armed force of which the military judge is a member. The Judge Advocate General may delegate authority to make military judges available for this purpose.
(4) Military magistrate. If authorized under regulations of the Secretary concerned, a detailed military judge may designate a military magistrate to perform pre-referral duties under R.C.M. 309, and, with the consent of the parties, to preside over a special court-martial consisting of a military judge alone under Article 16(c)(2)(A).
(c) Counsel.
(1) By whom detailed. Trial and defense counsel, assistant trial and defense counsel, and associate defense counsel shall be detailed in accordance with these rules and the regulations of the Secretary concerned. If authority to detail counsel has been delegated to a person, that person may detail himself or herself as counsel for a court-martial. For each general and special court-martial for which charges and specifications were referred by special trial counsel, a special trial counsel shall be detailed as trial counsel, and, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, a special trial counsel may detail other trial counsel who are judge advocates. In a capital case, counsel learned in the law applicable to such cases under R.C.M. 502(d)(2)(C) shall be assigned in accordance with regulations of the Secretary concerned.
(2) Record of detail. The order detailing a counsel shall be reduced to writing and included in the record of trial or announced orally on the record at the court-martial. The writing or announcement shall indicate by whom the counsel was detailed. The Secretary concerned may require that the order be reduced to writing.
(3) Counsel from a different armed force. A person from one armed force may be detailed to serve as counsel in a court-martial in a different armed force, a combatant command or joint command when permitted by the Judge Advocate General of the armed force of which the counsel is a member. The Judge Advocate General may delegate authority to make persons available for this purpose.