United States v. Kaiser

Rule for Courts-Martial 913(a) [hereinafter R.C.M.] provides the following guidance regarding preliminary instructions: “The military judge may give such preliminary instructions as may be appropriate. If mixed pleas have been entered, the military judge should ordinarily defer informing the members of the offenses to which the accused pleaded guilty until after the findings on the remaining contested offenses have been entered.” The nonbinding Discussion following the Rule adds:

Exceptions to the rule requiring the military judge to defer informing the members of an accused’s prior pleas of…