United States v. Nicholson

Opinion of the Court

EVERETT, Chief Judge:

A military judge sitting alone as a general court-martial at Mayport, Florida, convicted appellant, pursuant to his pleas, of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and of unpremeditated murder, in violation of Articles 81 and 118, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 881 and 918, respectively. Thereafter, appellant was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, confinement at hard labor for life, total forfeitures, and reduction to the lowest enlisted grade. Because the original convening authority was disqualified from taking action on the…