Chapter 322

322.050(1) (1) In any case not extending to the dismissal of a commissioned officer, the sworn testimony, contained in the duly authenticated record of proceedings of a court of inquiry, of a person whose oral testimony cannot be obtained, may, if otherwise admissible under the rules of evidence, be read in evidence by any party before a court-martial if the accused was a party before the court of inquiry and if the same issue was involved or if the accused consents to the introduction of evidence.

322.050(2) (2) Testimony may be read in evidence only by the defense in cases extending to the dismissal of a commissioned officer.

322.050(3) (3) Testimony may also be read in evidence before a court of inquiry.

322.050 History History: 2007 a. 200.

322.0505 322.0505 Article 50a — Defense of mental disease or defect.

322.0505(1) (1) The accused has an affirmative defense of mental disease or defect in a trial by court-martial if, at the time of the commission of the acts constituting the offense, the accused, as a result of a mental disease or defect, lacked substantial capacity either to appreciate the wrongfulness of his or her conduct or to conform his or her conduct to the requirements of the law. Mental disease or defect does not otherwise constitute a defense.

322.0505(2) (2) The accused has the burden of proving the defense of mental disease or defect to a reasonable certainty by the greater weight of the credible evidence.

322.0505(3) (3) Whenever lack of mental disease or defect of the accused with respect to an offense is properly at issue, the military judge shall instruct the members of the military court as to the defense of mental disease or defect under this section and charge them to find the accused any one of the following:

322.0505(3)(a) (a) Guilty.

322.0505(3)(b) (b) Not guilty.

322.0505(3)(c) (c) Not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

322.0505(4) (4) Subsection (3) does not apply to a court-martial composed of a military judge only. In the case of a court-martial composed of a military judge only or a summary court-martial officer, whenever mental disease or defect of the accused with respect to an offense is properly at issue, the military judge or summary court-martial officer shall find the accused any one of the following:

322.0505(4)(a) (a) Guilty.

322.0505(4)(b) (b) Not guilty.

322.0505(4)(c) (c) Not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

322.0505(5) (5) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 322.052, the accused shall be found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect if any of the following apply:

322.0505(5)(a) (a) A majority of the members of the court-martial present at the time the vote is taken determines that the defense of mental disease or defect has been established.

322.0505(5)(b) (b) In the case of a court-martial composed of a military judge only or a summary court-martial officer, the military judge or summary court-martial officer determines that the defense of mental disease or defect has been established.

322.0505 History History: 2007 a. 200; 2009 a. 179.

322.051 322.051 Article 51 — Voting and rulings.

322.051(1) (1) Voting by members of a general or special court-martial on the findings and on the sentence shall be by secret written ballot. The junior member of the court shall count the votes. The count shall be checked by the president, who shall as soon as possible announce the result of the ballot to the members of the court.

322.051(2) (2) The military judge shall rule upon all questions of law and all interlocutory questions arising during the proceedings. Any ruling made by the military judge upon any question of law or any interlocutory question other than the factual issue of mental disease or defect of the accused is final and constitutes the ruling of the court. However, the military judge may change the ruling at any time during the trial. Unless the ruling is final, if any member objects, the court shall be cleared and closed and the question decided by a voice vote as provided in s. 322.052, beginning with the junior in rank.

322.051(3) (3) Before a vote is taken on the findings, the military judge shall, in the presence of the accused and counsel, instruct the members of the court as to the elements of the offense and charge them with all of the following:

322.051(3)(a) (a) That the accused shall be presumed to be innocent until his or her guilt is established by legal and competent evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

322.051(3)(b) (b) That, in the case being considered, if there is a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused, the doubt must be resolved in favor of the accused and the accused must be acquitted.

322.051(3)(c) (c) That, if there is a reasonable doubt as to the degree of guilt, the finding shall be in a lower degree as to which there is no reasonable doubt.

322.051(3)(d) (d) That the burden of proof to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt is upon the state.

322.051(4) (4) Subsections (1), (2), and (3) do not apply to a court-martial composed of a military judge only. The military judge of a court-martial shall determine all questions of law and fact arising during the proceedings and, if the accused is convicted, adjudge an appropriate sentence. The military judge of a court-martial shall make a general finding and shall in addition, on request, find the facts specially. If an opinion or memorandum of decision is filed, it will be sufficient if the findings of fact appear.

322.051 History History: 2007 a. 200; 2009 a. 179.

322.052 322.052 Article 52 — Number of votes required.

322.052(1) (1) No person may be convicted of an offense except as provided in s. 322.045 (2) or s. 322.051 (4) or by the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present at the time the vote is taken.

322.052(2) (2) All other questions to be decided by the members of a general or special court-martial shall be determined by a majority vote, but a determination to reconsider a sentence, with a view toward decreasing it, may be made by any lesser vote which indicates that the reconsideration is not opposed by the number of votes required for that finding or sentence. A tie vote on a challenge disqualifies the member challenged. A tie vote on a motion relating to the question of the accused’s mental disease or defect is a determination against the accused. A tie vote on any other question is a determination in favor of the accused.

322.052 History History: 2007 a. 200.

322.053 322.053 Article 53 — Court to announce action. A court-martial shall announce its findings and sentence to the parties as soon as determined.

322.053 History History: 2007 a. 200.

322.054 322.054 Article 54 — Record of trial.

322.054(1) (1) Each general and special court-martial shall keep a separate record of the proceedings in each case brought before it, and the record shall be authenticated by the signature of the military judge. If the record cannot be authenticated by the military judge by reason of his or her death, disability, or absence, it shall be authenticated by the signature of the trial counsel or by that of a member, if the trial counsel is unable to authenticate it by reason of his or her death, disability, or absence. In a court-martial consisting of only a military judge, the record shall be authenticated by the court reporter under the same conditions which would impose a duty on a member under this subsection.

322.054(2) (2) A complete verbatim record of the proceedings and testimony shall be prepared in each general and special court-martial case resulting in a conviction, and in all other court-martial cases, the record shall contain matters as may be prescribed by regulations.

322.054(3) (3) Each summary court-martial shall keep a separate record of the proceedings in each case, and the record shall be authenticated in the manner as may be prescribed by regulations.

322.054(4) (4) A copy of the record of the proceedings of each general and special court-martial shall be given to the accused as soon as it is authenticated.

322.054 History History: 2007 a. 200.

subch. VIII of ch. 322 SUBCHAPTER VIII

SENTENCES

322.055 322.055 Article 55 — Cruel and unusual punishments prohibited. Punishment by flogging, or by branding, marking, or tattooing on the body, or any other cruel or unusual punishment may not be adjudged by a court-martial or inflicted upon any person subject to this code. The use of irons, single or double, except for the purpose of safe custody, is prohibited.

322.055 History History: 2007 a. 200.

322.056 322.056 Article 56 — Maximum limits.

322.056(1) (1) The punishment which a court-martial may direct for an offense may not exceed 10 years confinement.

322.056(2) (2) A conviction by a general court-martial of any offense for which an accused may receive a sentence of confinement for more than 1 year is a felony offense.

322.056(3) (3) Except for convictions by a summary court-martial, all other offenses are misdemeanors.

322.056(4) (4) A conviction by a summary court-martial is not a criminal conviction.

322.056(5) (5) The limits of punishment for violations of the punitive sections under Subch. X shall be those under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, unless otherwise prescribed by the governor according to ss. 322.018 to 322.020, but under no instance shall any punishment exceed that authorized by this code.

322.056 History History: 2007 a. 200; 2013 a. 165 s. 115; 2023 a. 47.

322.057 322.057 Article 57 — Effective date of sentences.

322.057(1) (1) Whenever a sentence of a court-martial as lawfully adjudged and approved includes a forfeiture of pay or allowances in addition to confinement not suspended, the forfeiture may apply to pay or allowances becoming due on or after the date the sentence is approved by the convening authority. No forfeiture may extend to any pay or allowances accrued before that date.

322.057(2) (2) Any period of confinement included in a sentence of a court-martial begins to run from the date the sentence is adjudged by the court-martial, but periods during which the sentence to confinement is suspended or deferred shall be excluded in computing the service of the term of confinement.

322.057(3) (3) All other sentences of courts-martial are effective on the date ordered executed.

322.057 History History: 2007 a. 200.

322.0575 322.0575 Article 57a — Deferment of sentences.

322.0575(1) (1) On application by an accused who is under sentence to confinement that has not been ordered executed, the convening authority or, if the accused is no longer under that person’s jurisdiction, the person exercising general court-martial jurisdiction over the command to which the accused is currently assigned, may in that person’s sole discretion defer service of the sentence to confinement. The deferment shall terminate when the sentence is ordered executed. The deferment may be rescinded at any time by the person who granted it or, if the accused is no longer under that person’s jurisdiction, by the person exercising general court-martial jurisdiction over the command to which the accused is currently assigned.

322.0575(2) (2) 

322.0575(2)(a) (a) In any case in which a court-martial sentences an accused referred to in par. (b) to confinement, the convening authority may defer the service of the sentence to confinement, without the consent of the accused, until after the accused has been permanently released to the state military forces by a state, the United States, or a foreign country referred to in that paragraph.

322.0575(2)(b) (b) Paragraph (a) applies to a person subject to this code who meets all of the following:

322.0575(2)(b)1. 1. While in the custody of a state, the United States, or a foreign country, is temporarily returned by that state, the United States, or a foreign country to the state military forces for trial by court-martial.

322.0575(2)(b)2. 2. After the court-martial, is returned to that state, the United States, or a foreign country under the authority of a mutual agreement or treaty, as the case may be.

322.0575(3) (3) In any case in which a court-martial sentences an accused to confinement and the sentence to confinement has been ordered executed, but in which review of the case under s. 322.0675 is pending, the adjutant general may defer further service of the sentence to confinement while that review is pending.

322.0575(4) (4) A sentence of confinement shall address work release privileges.

322.0575 History History: 2007 a. 200; 2009 a. 179.

322.058 322.058 Article 58 — Conditions of confinement.

322.058(1) (1) A sentence of confinement adjudged by a court-martial, whether or not the sentence includes discharge or dismissal, and whether or not the discharge or dismissal has been executed, may be carried into execution by confinement in any place authorized by this code. Persons so confined are subject to the same discipline and treatment as persons regularly confined or committed to that place of confinement.

322.058(2) (2) The omission of hard labor as a sentence authorized under this code does not deprive the state confinement facility from employing it, if it otherwise is within the authority of that facility to do so.

322.058(3) (3) No place of confinement may require payment of any fee or charge for receiving or confining a person except as otherwise provided by law.

322.058 History History: 2007 a. 200.

322.0585 322.0585 Article 58a — Sentences: reduction in enlisted grade upon approval.

322.0585(1) (1) A court-martial sentence of an enlisted member in a pay grade above E-1, as approved by the convening authority, that includes a dishonorable or bad-conduct discharge, or confinement, reduces that member to pay grade E-1, effective on the date of that approval.

322.0585(2) (2) If the sentence of a member who is reduced in pay grade under sub. (1) is set aside or disapproved, or, as finally approved, does not include any punishment named in sub. (1), the rights and privileges of which the person was deprived because of that reduction shall be restored, including pay and allowances.

322.0585 History History: 2007 a. 200.

322.0587 322.0587 Article 58b — Sentences: forfeiture of pay and allowances during confinement.

322.0587(1) (1) A court-martial sentence described in sub. (2) shall result in the forfeiture of pay, or of pay and allowances, due that member during any period of confinement or parole. The forfeiture subject to this section shall take effect on the date determined under s. 322.057 (1) and may be deferred as provided by that subsection. The pay and allowances forfeited, in the case of a general court-martial, shall be all pay and allowances due that member during the period and, in the case of a special court-martial, shall be two-thirds of all pay due that member during the period.

322.0587(2) (2) A sentence covered by this section is any sentence that includes any of the following:

322.0587(2)(a) (a) Confinement for more than 6 months.

322.0587(2)(b) (b) Confinement for 6 months or less and a dishonorable or bad-conduct discharge or dismissal.

322.0587(3) (3) In a case involving an accused who has dependents, the convening authority or other person acting under s. 322.060 may waive any or all of the forfeitures of pay and allowances required by sub. (1) for a period not to exceed 6 months. Any amount of pay or allowances that, except for a waiver under this subsection, would be forfeited shall be paid, as the convening authority or other person taking action directs, to the dependents of the accused.

322.0587(4) (4) If the sentence of a member who forfeits pay and allowances under sub. (1) is set aside or disapproved or, as finally approved, does not provide for a punishment referred to in sub. (2), the member shall be paid the pay and allowances that the member would have been paid, except for the forfeiture, for the period during which the forfeiture was in effect.

322.0587 History History: 2007 a. 200; 2009 a. 180.

subch. IX of ch. 322 SUBCHAPTER IX

POST-TRIAL PROCEDURE AND
REVIEW OF COURTS-MARTIAL

322.059 322.059 Article 59 — Error of law; lesser included offense.

322.059(1) (1) A finding or sentence of a court-martial may not be held incorrect on the ground of an error of law unless the error materially prejudices the substantial rights of the accused.

322.059(2) (2) Any reviewing authority with the power to approve or affirm a finding of guilty may approve or affirm, instead, so much of the finding as includes a lesser included offense.