Congress authorizes military commanders to issue Arrest Warrants against American citizens - CIVILIANS!

I was alerted Wednesday night, indirectly, there are situations wherein U.S. Marshals or armed bounty hunters have forced civilians to appear before court-martial.

Counselor Charles Gittins confirms military commanders hold this extraordinary power, writing that:

If a witness fails to appear at a military court-martial (or court of Inquiry), upon the issuance of a subpoena for appearance at a military court-martial (or court-martial), the military judge (or President of the [court of inquiry]) is empowered to issue a Warrant of Attachment for the appearance of that witness at trial. Once issued, a Warrant of Attachment is delivered to the Federal Marshal Service (FMS) and Federal Marshals are dispatched to find the witness and bring the witness before the military judge. This assumes of course, that the Government is able to demonstrate that the subpoena was properly served -- in person as required by the court-martial rules -- and that at the time the subpoena was served the witness was also served with a check for travel expenses and witness fees.

I hope this illuminates the issue. Frankly, it rarely happens for two reasons: 1) most witnesses who receive a subpoena appear at trial; and, 2) those who don't appear usually have advice of counsel and can show that the subpoena was not properly served in accordance with the Rules for Courts-Martial. (If the subpoena was not properly served, in person with the tender of travel and witness fees, the witness is not required to comply with it).

A Warrant of Attachment or Writ of Bodily Attachment can and has manifested itself in the form of an Arrest Warrant and fine.

Department of Defense form 454

Until Wednesday night I was unaware military officers had the power to issue any type or kind of Warrant against a U.S. citizen. I've never heard of this, never read about this, and not aware the practice actually carried out. I surmise not many of you ever knew.

This extraordinary power, now publicly exposed, is altogether consistent with earlier disclosures that military royalty have turned against American citizens.

Taken together with the history of the Articles of War (UCMJ), criminal conduct of command racketeers so far reported (now beyond argument), immunity from arrest or prosecution military politicians and command racketeers enjoy, recent UCMJ amendment, the absence of juries from courts-martial (attainder), forced confessions (duress), the unexampled growth of the JAG corps, all this and more reported at The JAG Hunter, I humbly offer a rather dark time is upon us, unparalleled in our history, regarding civil-military relations.

Of course, repeating myself now, if these practices are not stopped they will continue and grow. Media folk should be on high alert for reasons I've already reduced to writing. Seems there exists more than enough information in plain sight to effect immediate arrests of senior military officers, military politicians, and NCIS, CID agents so far criminally charged.

Beware the fury of the patient man!

Here endth the lesson

The JAG Hunter. Copyright©2007

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