What are the different types of court-martials?

In Pennsylvania, military law is governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or UCMJ. A court-martial is a military tribunal that is held to try and decide a case involving military personnel. According to the UCMJ, there are three types of court-martials: Summary, Special, and General. A Summary Court-Martial is the most common type of court-martial. This type of court-martial is used to handle minor offenses such as disobeying orders or minor violations of the UCMJ. A Summary Court-Martial does not require a jury and the decision is made by a military judge. A Special Court-Martial is a more serious type of court-martial and is used for more serious offenses. This type of court-martial is presided over by three military officers. In some cases, a jury may be used. The decision is made by a majority vote. The most serious type of court-martial is the General Court-Martial. This type of court-martial is used for the most serious offenses such as desertion or mutiny. This court-martial is presided over by a minimum of five military officers and a jury is used in the trial. The jury is composed of seven to thirteen members. The decision is made by a majority vote. The court-martial system allows the military to take care of its own justice system and is an important part of military law in Pennsylvania. It ensures that those who break military rules are held accountable.

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