Expert: American Courts-Martial Are Nothing New -- Ask Lewis & Clark

Jeffrey J. Matthews, Ph.D. - University of Puget Sound
AScribe Newswire - USA

In a democracy, the members of the armed forces reflect their society, and while the recent revelations of atrocities in Iraq are disturbing, Americans can take some satisfaction that their military has proven system to deal with such misbehavior.

JAG Hunter down here: Dr. Matthews is off-base by suggesting our contemporary system of military justice competent or reliable. It's neither. Take no satisfaction. Interesting however is that Captain Lewis & Lieutenant Clark appointed enlisted men to their military courts, the closest semblance to "peer review" seen in American military jurisprudence before or since.