2001 Minnesota Statutes

     192A.205 Unlawfully influencing action of court. 

    Subdivision 1.  No authority convening a general, special, 
 or summary court-martial nor any other commanding officer may 
 censure, reprimand, or admonish the court or any member, 
 military judge or counsel thereof, with respect to the findings 
 or sentence adjudged by the court, or with respect to any other 
 exercise of functions in the conduct of the proceeding.  No 
 person subject to this code may attempt to coerce or, by any 
 unauthorized means, influence the action of the court-martial or 
 any other military tribunal or any member thereof, in reaching 
 the findings or sentence in any case, or the action of any 
 convening, approving, or reviewing authority with respect to 
 judicial acts.  The foregoing provisions of this subdivision 
 shall not apply with respect to (1) general instructional or 
 informational courses in military justice if such courses are 
 designed solely for the purpose of instructing members of a 
 command in the substantive and procedural aspects of 
 courts-martial, or (2) to statements and instructions given in 
 open court by the military judge or counsel. 

    Subd. 2.  In the preparation of an effectiveness, fitness, 
 or efficiency report or any other report or document used in 
 whole or in part for the purpose of determining whether a member 
 of the state military forces is qualified to be advanced in 
 grade, or in determining the assignment or transfer of such a 
 member or in determining whether such member should be retained 
 on any type of duty or status, no person subject to this code 
 may, in preparing any such report (1) consider or evaluate the 
 performance of duty of any such member as a member of a 
 court-martial, or (2) give a less favorable rating or evaluation 
 of any member because of the zeal with which such member, as 
 counsel, represented any accused before a court-martial.  This 
 section shall not apply to evaluations made by a judge advocate 
 on the performance of that judge advocate's own staff. 

    HIST: 1963 c 661 s 192A.205; 1978 c 552 s 22; 1986 c 444