5703 - Duties of trial counsel and defense counsel.
§ 5703. Duties of trial counsel and defense counsel. (a) Trial counsel.--The trial counsel of a general or special court-martial shall prosecute in the name of the Commonwealth, and shall, under the direction of the court, prepare the record of the proceedings. (b) Defense counsel.--The accused has the right to be represented in his defense before a general or special court- martial by civilian counsel if provided by him, or by military counsel of his own selection if reasonably available, or by the defense counsel appointed under section 5506 (relating to appointment of trial counsel and defense counsel). Should the accused have counsel of his own selection, the defense counsel, and assistant defense counsel, if any, who were appointed, shall, if the accused so desires, act as his associate counsel; otherwise they shall be excused by the military judge or by the president of a court-martial without a military judge. (c) Brief by defense counsel.--In every court-martial proceeding, the defense counsel may, in the event of conviction, forward for attachment to the record of proceedings a brief of such matters he feels should be considered in behalf of the accused on review, including any objection to the contents of the record which he considers appropriate. (d) Assistant trial counsel.--An assistant trial counsel of a general court-martial may, under the direction of the trial counsel or when he is qualified to be a trial counsel as required by section 5506, perform any duty imposed by law, regulation, or the custom of the service upon the trial counsel of the court. An assistant trial counsel of a special court- martial may perform any duty of the trial counsel. (e) Assistant defense counsel.--An assistant defense counsel of a general or special court-martial may, under the direction of the defense counsel or when he is qualified to be the defense counsel as required by section 5506, perform any duty imposed by law, regulation, or the custom of the service upon counsel for the accused.