United States v. Plumb

OPINION OF THE COURT

SPISAK, Judge:

What should have been a straight-forward case of fraternization, adultery, and conduct unbecoming an officer, became a complex, lengthy, and often confusing testament to how not to conduct criminal investigations and prepare courts-martial for trial. Numerous allegations of unlawful command influence and interference with defense witnesses resulted in extensive judicial hearings, over 1700 pages of transcript and 30 volumes in the record of trial (17 dedicated to exhibits alone), and a total of four investigations under Article 32, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 832.

The…