Section 40.090

Title V MILITARY AFFAIRS AND POLICE

Chapter 40

Effective - 28 Aug 1984   

  40.090.  Eligibility to serve on courts-martial — members, how determined — unit, defined — ineligible persons. — 1.  Any commissioned officer of or on duty with the state military forces is eligible to serve on all courts-martial for the trial of any person who may lawfully be brought before such courts for trial.

  2.  Any warrant officer of or on duty with the state military forces is eligible to serve on general and special courts-martial for the trial of any person, other than a commissioned officer, who may lawfully be brought before such court for trial.

  3.  (1)  Any enlisted member of the state military forces who is not a member of the same unit as the accused is eligible to serve on general and special courts-martial for the trial of any enlisted member who may lawfully be brought before such courts for trial, but he shall serve as a member of court only if before the conclusion of a session called by the military judge under section 40.130 prior to trial or, in the absence of such a session, before the court is assembled for the trial of the accused, the accused personally has requested in writing that enlisted members serve on it.  After such a request, the accused may not be tried by a general or special court-martial the membership of which does not include enlisted members in a number comprising at least one-half of the total membership of the court, unless eligible members cannot be obtained on account of physical conditions or military exigencies.  If such members cannot be obtained, the court may be convened and the trial held without them, but the convening authority shall make a detailed written statement, to be appended to the record, stating why they could not be obtained.

  (2)  In this section, the word "unit" means any regularly organized body of the state military forces not larger than a company, a squadron, or a corresponding body.

  4.  (1)  No person subject to sections 40.005 to 40.490 may be tried by a court-martial any member of which is junior to such person in rank or grade.

  (2)  When convening a court-martial, the convening authority shall detail as members thereof such members as, in his opinion, are best qualified for the duty by reason of age, education, training, experience, length of service, and judicial temperament.  No member is eligible to serve as a member of a general or special court-martial when he is the accuser or a witness for the prosecution or has acted as investigating officer or as counsel in the same case.

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(L. 1984 H.B. 1035 § 26)