PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The United States can appeal certain orders in court-martial trials or in some pretrial proceedings. It covers seven kinds of orders, such as stopping charges, excluding important evidence, ordering or punishing disclosure of classified information, refusing to issue or enforce protective orders about classified information, and a judge changing a guilty finding to not guilty after members had found guilt. To appeal, the trial counsel must give the judge written notice within 72 hours. The notice must say the appeal is not for delay and, if evidence was excluded, that the evidence was substantial proof of a material fact. Appeals barred by section 844 cannot be taken. Appellate Government lawyers must pursue the appeal. Appeals go straight to the Court of Criminal Appeals by a method the President sets and get priority when possible. That court may only decide legal questions. Any delay from the appeal does not count against speedy-trial time unless an authority finds the appeal was filed only to delay and was totally frivolous. A military magistrate’s ruling is appealed the same way but must first be shown to the military judge who appointed that magistrate. The section must be read broadly to carry out its purpose.

Title 10, §862

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)In a trial by general or special court-martial, or in a pretrial proceeding under section 830a of this title (article 30a), the United States may appeal the following:

(A)An order or ruling of the military judge which terminates the proceedings with respect to a charge or specification.

(B)An order or ruling which excludes evidence that is substantial proof of a fact material in the proceeding.

(C)An order or ruling which directs the disclosure of classified information.

(D)An order or ruling which imposes sanctions for nondisclosure of classified information.

(E)A refusal of the military judge to issue a protective order sought by the United States to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

(F)A refusal by the military judge to enforce an order described in subparagraph (E) that has previously been issued by appropriate authority.

(G)An order or ruling of the military judge entering a finding of not guilty with respect to a charge or specification following the return of a finding of guilty by the members.

(2)(A)An appeal of an order or ruling may not be taken unless the trial counsel provides the military judge with written notice of appeal from the order or ruling within 72 hours of the order or ruling. Such notice shall include a certification by the trial counsel that the appeal is not taken for the purpose of delay and (if the order or ruling appealed is one which excludes evidence) that the evidence excluded is substantial proof of a fact material in the proceeding.

(B)An appeal of an order or ruling may not be taken when prohibited by section 844 of this title (article 44).

(3)An appeal under this section shall be diligently prosecuted by appellate Government counsel.

(b)An appeal under this section shall be forwarded by a means prescribed under regulations of the President directly to the Court of Criminal Appeals and shall, whenever practicable, have priority over all other proceedings before that court. In ruling on an appeal under this section, the Court of Criminal Appeals may act only with respect to matters of law.

(c)Any period of delay resulting from an appeal under this section shall be excluded in deciding any issue regarding denial of a speedy trial unless an appropriate authority determines that the appeal was filed solely for the purpose of delay with the knowledge that it was totally frivolous and without merit.

(d)The United States may appeal a ruling or order of a military magistrate in the same manner as had the ruling or order been made by a military judge, except that the issue shall first be presented to the military judge who designated the military magistrate or to a military judge detailed to hear the issue.

(e)The provisions of this section shall be liberally construed to effect its purposes.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 862(a)862(b)50:649(a).50:649(b).May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 62), 64 Stat. 127.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2017—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–91 struck out “, notwithstanding section 866(c) of this title (article 66(c))” after “matters of law”. 2016—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114–328, § 5326(1)(A), in introductory provisions, substituted “general or special court-martial, or in a pretrial proceeding under section 830a of this title (article 30a), the United States may appeal the following:” for “court-martial in which a military judge presides and in which a punitive discharge may be adjudged, the United States may appeal the following (other than an order or ruling that is, or that amounts to, a finding of not guilty with respect to the charge or specification):”. Subsec. (a)(1)(G). Pub. L. 114–328, § 5326(1)(B), added subpar. (G). Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–328, § 5326(2), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A) and added subpar. (B). Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 114–328, § 5326(3), added subsecs. (d) and (e). 1996—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 104–106 amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “In a trial by court-martial in which a military judge presides and in which a punitive discharge may be adjudged, the United States may appeal an order or ruling of the military judge which terminates the proceedings with respect to a charge or specification or which excludes evidence that is substantial proof of a fact material in the proceeding. However, the United States may not appeal an order or ruling that is, or that amounts to, a finding of not guilty with respect to the charge or specification.” 1994—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “Court of Criminal Appeals” for “Court of Military Review” in two places. 1983—Pub. L. 98–209 amended section generally, substituting “Appeal by the United States” for “Reconsideration and revision” as section catchline, and, in text, substituting provisions relating to appeals by the United States for provisions relating to the convening authority returning the record to the court for reconsideration and appropriate action.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2017 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–91 effective immediately after the

Amendments

made by div. E (§§ 5001–5542) of Pub. L. 114–328 take effect as provided for in section 5542 of that Act (10 U.S.C. 801 note), see section 531(p) of Pub. L. 115–91, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2016 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing

Regulations

and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1983 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–209 effective first day of eighth calendar month beginning after Dec. 6, 1983, but not to apply to any case in which the findings and sentence were adjudged by a court-martial before that date, and the proceedings in any such case to be held in the same manner and with the same effect as if such

Amendments

had not been enacted, see section 12(a)(1), (4) of Pub. L. 98–209, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.

§862 Art. 62. Appeal by the United States

Summary

Title 10, §862

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Amendments

Effective Date

Regulations

Effective Date

Amendments

Citations & Metadata