What are the different types of court-martials?
Court-martials are military trials conducted in the state of Washington, and they are used to prosecute violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). There are three types of court-martials: summary court-martial, special court-martial, and general court-martial. A summary court-martial is the least serious type of court-martial and is used to try minor violations of the UCMJ. It consists of one commissioned officer, who acts as both jury and judge. In Washington, the maximum punishment for a conviction in a summary court-martial is usually a bad-conduct discharge, forfeiture of two-thirds of one month’s pay for two months, and a reduction in paygrade. A special court-martial is more serious than a summary court-martial and is used to try more serious violations of the UCMJ. It consists of at least three military officers, one of which must act as a judge. The maximum punishment for a conviction in a special court-martial is usually a bad-conduct discharge, one year in prison, and/or a forfeiture of two-thirds of one month’s pay for a maximum of six months. A general court-martial is the most serious type of court-martial and is used to try serious violations of the UCMJ. It consists of at least five military officers, one of which must act as a judge. The maximum punishment for a conviction in a general court-martial is usually a dishonorable discharge, death, and/or a forfeiture of all pay and allowances. All court-martials in Washington are open to the public, and the accused has the right to be represented by a military lawyer.
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