Peter Odom is the former Director of Advocacy Training for the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army (2016-2019). In this capacity, he developed training programs for JAG Corps officers practicing criminal law under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).  He created and presented specialized courses in many areas of criminal trial practice, including expert witness testimony, cross examination, hearsay evidence, and examination of difficult witnesses. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Army’s primary criminal trial training manual, “The Advocacy Trainer”, which is used today by military justice practitioners and trainers throughout the world.

Criminal Law under the UCMJ is a highly specialized area of practice. While many of the terms and procedures are similar to those in civilian criminal courts, there are many nuances in the UCMJ. For example, military juries—called panels—are made up of servicemembers who are required to be of rank equal to or higher than the accused. Also, unlike civilian juries which only sit for one particular case, military panels may sit for up to a year, hearing multiple criminal cases during their terms as panelists.

If the military panel reaches a guilty verdict on any offense, it is usually the panel that decides the servicemember’s punishment.  In addition, much conduct that would not be considered criminal in most civilian jurisdictions, such as adultery or engaging in conduct that brings discredit on the service, can result in serious criminal punishments under the UCMJ. The military often uses administrative proceedings in lieu of criminal prosecution, which can result in loss of pay, loss of retirement income, or reduction in rank.