"Heritage brief" case appealed to Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

Gen. James F. Amos (right) 

Marine Sgt. Roger E. Easterly Jr. has filed a petition for review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, claiming that unlawful command influence affected his general court-martial. The U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals decided his case on January 31, 2014. At issue are remarks made by Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos, in which, according to Michael Doyle of the McClatchy Washington Bureau, he "declared that he was 'very disappointed' with many results at court martial and urged Marines to reject a 'bullshit' defense theory in sexual assault cases." Gen. Amos was among the service chiefs who testified last year before the Senate Armed Services Committee that it was essential that commanders retain the power to decide which cases should be taken to courts-martial. Sgt. Easterly is represented by appellate defense counsel Capt. David A. Peters of the Marine Corps.