Colorado § 28-3.1-209 - Who may serve on courts-martial.

§ 28-3.1-209. Who may serve on courts-martial.

(1) Any commissioned officer off or on duty with the military forces is eligible to serve on all courts-martial for the trial of any person subject to this code.

(2) Any warrant officer off or on duty with the military forces is eligible to serve on general and special courts-martial for the trial of any person, other than a commissioned officer.

(3) (a) Any enlisted member of the 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, but he or she shall serve as a member of a court only if, before convening of the court, the accused personally has requested in writing that enlisted members serve on it. After such request, the accused shall 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-third of the total membership of the court, unless eligible members cannot be obtained because of physical conditions or military exigencies. If enlisted members cannot be obtained, the court may be assembled and the trial held without them, but the convening authority shall make a detailed written statement, to be appended to the record, stating why enlisted members could not be obtained.

(b) As used in this section, "unit" means any regularly organized body of the military forces not larger than a company, a squadron, or a body corresponding to one of them.

(4) (a) No person subject to this code may be tried by a court-martial of which any member is junior to him or her in rank or grade, unless it cannot be avoided and then only by order of the governor.

(b) When convening a court-martial, the convening authority shall detail as members thereof those persons as, in his or her 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 or she is the accuser or a witness for the prosecution or has acted as investigating officer or as counsel in the same case. If within the command of the convening authority there is present and not otherwise disqualified a commissioned officer who is a member in good standing of the bar of this state and of appropriate rank and grade, the convening authority may appoint him or her as president of a general or special court-martial.

Source: L. 83: Entire article added, p. 1170, § 1, effective June 10. L. 2002: (3)(a) and (4) amended, p. 607, § 71, effective May 24. L. 2018: (4)(b) amended, (SB 18-135), ch. 95, p. 746, § 12, effective April 2.