In 1983, a woman was attacked near the Quantico Marine Base in Virginia. The victim’s description of her assailant prompted the military officers to convict and court-martial Corporal Lindsey Scott, the only black MP in the Quantico Criminal Investigation Division, despite his pleas of innocence. He was initially convicted and sentenced to 30 years in jail during the original trial. The case was overturned in 1988 by the U.S. Court of Military Appeals. Mr. Myers represented him in the re-trial.The case became a five-year ordeal. Mr. Myers ultimately vindicated CPL Scott despite racism and poor investigative analysis by the government. Of Mr. Myers, the Washington Post wrote:”This time, Scott has two things going for him that he lacked in the first court-martial: a pair of highly regarded civilian lawyers who have devoted hundreds of hours to his defense, and a witness who is expected to testify that Scott was miles from Quantico on the night of April 20, 1983, when the wife of one of his colleagues was driven to a remote spot at the base, raped, stabbed and left for dead.”The case was memorialized in the book “Dangerous Evidence.” Mr. Myers was played by Geordie Johnson in the made-for-TV movie.Washington Post Article – Rape Trial of Marine Starts Today
Categories
Related Posts
-
Right to Expert Witnesses in a Court-Martial
Jan 28View ArticleExpert witnesses can be a critical part of any court-martial. Service members have a right to confidential experts. See United States v. Turner, 28 M.J. 487, 489 (C.M.A. 1989); United States v. King, 32 M.J. 709 (A.C.M.R. 1991). Under R.C.M. 701 (f), their confidential assistance is subject to the attorney-client privilege and the work product privilege.As a matter of military...
-
Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Reverses Precedent Holding that Retired Sailors and Marines Can Receive a Punitive Discharge at a Court-Martial
Jun 23View ArticleOn 19 June 2018, in US v. Dinger, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces set aside some previous precedent suggesting that retired members could not receive a punitive discharge at a court-martial.10 U.S.C § 6332 states that when a member in the Naval Service is placed in a retired status, that “transfer is conclusive...
-
Mr. Pristera Argues US V. Cook at the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals – Ineffective Assistance of Counsel and New Trials at Issue
Nov 30View ArticleOn November 17, 2016, Mr. Pristera argued the case of United States v. Cook on appeal at the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. The unique appeal presented diametrically opposing positions where Mr. Pristera had to concurrently argue for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence under R.C.M. 1210, and also ineffective assistance...