United States v. Whidbee

BAUM, Chief Judge:

Appellants were tried separately on unrelated charges by two different general courts-martial, both convened by Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District. Each accused pled not guilty to all offenses 1 at trials before different officer members, presided over by two different military judges, one from the Navy and the other a Coast Guard officer. Despite the fact that the offenses and the courts-martial were unconnected, this Court, on its own initiative, has determined to consider the records together for decision because of a common dispositive issue relating to the trial…