5504 - Who may serve on courts-martial.
§ 5504. Who may serve on courts-martial. (a) Commissioned officer.--Any commissioned officer of the State military forces is eligible to serve on all courts-martial for the trial of any person who may lawfully be brought before such courts for trial. (b) Warrant officer.--Any warrant officer of the State military forces is eligible to serve on general and special courts-martial for the trial of any person, other than a commissioned officer, who may lawfully be brought before such courts for trial. (c) Enlisted person.-- (1) Any enlisted person of the State military forces who is not a member of the same unit as the accused is eligible to serve on general and special courts-martial for the trial of any enlisted person who may lawfully be brought before such courts for trial. He shall serve as a member of a court only if, before the convening of the court, the accused personally has requested in writing that enlisted members serve on it. After such a request, the accused may not be tried by a general or special court-martial, the membership of which does not include enlisted persons in a number comprising at least one-third of the total membership of the court, unless eligible members cannot be obtained on account of physical conditions or military exigencies. If such members cannot be obtained, the court may be convened and the trial held without them, but the convening authority shall make a detailed written statement, to be appended to the record, stating why they could not be obtained. (2) In this subsection, the word "unit" means any regularly organized body of the State military forces not larger in size than a company, or a corresponding body. (d) Ineligible persons.-- (1) No person subject to this part may be tried by a court-martial any member of which is junior to him in rank or grade. (2) When convening a court-martial, the convening authority shall appoint as members thereof such members as, in his opinion, are best qualified for the duty by reason of age, education, training, experience, length of service, and judicial temperament. No member is eligible to serve as a member of a general or special court-martial when he is the accuser or a witness for the prosecution or has acted as investigating officer or as counsel in the same case.