{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-33a-26","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 33A, § 26","heading":"Military judge of a general or special court-martial","body":"Article 26. Military judge of a general or special court-martial.\n(a) A military judge shall be detailed to each general and special court-martial. The military judge shall preside over each open session of the court-martial to which the military judge has been detailed.\n(b) A military judge shall be:\n(1) an active or retired commissioned officer of an organized state military force;\n(2) a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state or a member of the bar of a federal court for not less than 5 years; and\n(3) certified as qualified for duty as a military judge by the senior force judge advocate which is the same force as the accused.\n(c) If a military judge is not a member of the bar of the highest court of the commonwealth, the military judge shall be considered admitted pro hac vice, subject to filing a certificate with the senior force judge advocate of the same force as the accused, setting forth the qualifications provided in subsection (b).\n(d) The military judge of a general or special court-martial shall be designated by the senior force judge advocate of the same force as the accused, or a designee, for detail by the convening authority. Neither the convening authority nor a staff member of the convening authority shall prepare or review a report concerning the effectiveness, fitness or efficiency of the military judge so detailed, which relates to performance of duty as a military judge.\n(e) No person shall act as military judge in a case if that person is the accuser, a witness or has acted as investigating officer or counsel in the same case.\n(f) The military judge of a court-martial may not consult with the members of the court except in the presence of the accused, trial counsel and defense counsel, nor vote with the members of the court.\n(g) A military judge need not be a member of the same military force or the same branch of the convening authority or accused.","path":["Part I","Title V","Chapter 33A"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleV/Chapter33A/Section26","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:20:23Z","sha256":"8538f685fb4d6a0138d56928598317ecc09aa313f444558d959dafd6d837d30d","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-33a-25","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-33a-27"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}