Defense Counsel and Judges

Independent Defense – Independent Judiciary.  It is the duty of military defense counsel to zealously represent their clients’ legal interests.  It is the duty of military judges to be fair and impartial in overseeing trials, applying the law, and if applicable, passing judgment and sentence upon an accused servicemember.  Defense counsel and military judges are assigned to an independent judiciary within the military, with command and performance rating chains that are separate from those of the prosecutors and convening authorities.  To further insure complete independence, prosecutors, defense counsel, and military judges maintain separate office facilities.