Recent Events Spotlight JAG Corps

By Chuck McCutcheon
Newhouse News Service

"Guter and other military lawyers say JAGs are aggressively upholding legal principles, even if it means bucking a culture of saluting and obeying orders."

JAG Hunter bullet: 'Scuse me - Don Guter, former Navy TJAG, is one of the hunted JAGs. Guter is part of the problem, himself the subject of criminal charges and disbarment complaint. Factoid: Guter was the JAG representing (then) Chief of Naval Operations Frank Kelso when Kelso testified under oath before Judge Vest about being at the infamous "tailhook" bacchanal. Vest ruled that Kelso was lying (under oath), and swiftly dismantled the only court-martial coming from that Las Vegas nightmare. Said differently, Guter provided cover for the Navy's top commander, suborned perjury, got promoted, and for his successful defense of CNO Kelso, was selected as the Navy's top JAG. Don Guter is an admiral who should be doin' time in prison. No kiddin' folks...one doesn't make this stuff up.