The U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals held its last official court session April 6 when 70 brand new judge advocates were sworn in by Col. Barbara G. Brand, Chief Appelate Military Judge.
Following the swearing in ceremony, the court remained in session for a question-and-answer session. Colonel Brand; Col. William E. Orr, Jr., Senior Appellate Military Judge; Col. Ronald A. Gregory, Senior Appellate Military Judge; and Col. J. Bradley Roan, Appellate Military Judge, spoke at length about their own careers in military law and reminisced about having been sworn in to practice law in the very same court room many years earlier.
The appellate court, which serves as a ‘last chance’ for members accused of crimes for which they would receive a punitive discharge, be confined for more than one year, or put to death by special or general courts martial, closed its doors after 38 years. It is the highest court in the Air Force.
The U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals will be relocated to Joint Base Andrews as part of the Base Realignment and Closure initiative. The move from JBAB to Andrews is scheduled for April 20, and the court is slated to be reopen May 1.
The space that the courtroom now occupies is set to be converted into office space.