Originally Posted by
logroller
Everything? Well that's a little broad IMO. But Its a piece of legislation that governs military members and like most comprehensive law and its quite complicated; convoluted even; but in a nutshell all members of the us military, even retired in some instances are subject to it-- often in spite of constitutional law that applies to citizens. It includes many of the general civil laws (murder, rape etc) and details when military members are subject to civil law or military law . Like many civil laws it proscribes actions, the punishments for such (from letter of reprimand through execution), the process by which an alleged crime is reported (eg a superior officer must recommend charges), the rights of the suspect (eg to appeal an administrative punishment, a right to an attorney in trial, to confront witnesses, present a defense, innocent until proven guilty, not being discharged while the process ensues including being withheld pay etc), process of court martial (how many jurists, submitting a plea, if it's a court martial the option of a jury of like or above rank, if its capital then it must be jury trial etc).
I can continue, but why--is there something you're curious of? I don't know everything but I can probably find the information you desire.
To the point: your implication of someone receiving pay being unjustified is wrong because because there is ucmj code to prevent someone from being punished financially due to charges being brought forth out of personal vendetta. Now while Hassan's charges weren't the product of capricious prosecution, ucmj law protects against such would it be the case and the rule is just. Were this rule broken it could be used as grounds for an appeal, possibly overturning the verdict and further extending the time before the punishment is meted out.
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