Trial counsel withdraws from general officer's court-martial

Lt. Col. William M. Helixon

The New York Times has this story about the withdrawal of Lt. Col. William M. Helixon, the senior trial counsel in the upcoming general court-martial of Army Brigadier General Jeffrey A. Sinclair. Presumably more will become known in coming days, but if, as appears from this news account, there was a dispute between trial counsel and the command over whether to pursue the most serious charges against General Sinclair, the case could become part of the debate over a pending legislative proposal to transfer the disposition power from lay commanders to prosecutors who are independent of the chain of command.