, 35798-35799 [X15-160622]
Download as PDF
35798
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 119 / Monday, June 22, 2015 / Presidential Documents
(D) A victim shall be excluded if a privilege set forth in MiL R. Evid. 505 or 506 is
invoked or if evidence is offered under Mil. R. Evid. 412, 513, or 514, for charges other than
those in which the victim is named.
(3) Presentation of evidence.
(A) Testimony. Witness testimony may be provided in person, by video teleconference, by
telephone, or by similar means of remote testimony. All testimony shall be taken under oath,
except that the accused may make an unsworn statement. The preliminary hearing officer shall
only consider testimony that is relevant to the limited scope and purpose of the preliminary
hearing.
(B) Other evidence. If relevant to the limited scope and purpose of the preliminary hearing,
and not cumulative, a preliminary hearing officer may consider other evidence, in addition to or
in lieu of witness testimony, including statements, tangible evidence, or reproductions thereof,
offered by either side, that the preliminary hearing officer determines is reliable. This other
evidence need not be sworn.
(4) Access by spectators. Preliminary hearings are public proceedings and should remain open
to the public whenever possible. The convening authority who directed the preliminary hearing
or the preliminary hearing officer may restrict or foreclose access by spectators to all or part of
the proceedings if an overriding in.terest exists that outweighs the value of an open preliminary
hearing. Examples of overriding interests may include: preventing psychological harm or trauma
to a child witness or an alleged victim of a sexual crime, protecting the safety or privacy of a
witness or alleged victim, protecting classified material, and receiving evidence where a witness
is incapable of testifying in an open setting. Any closure must be narrowly tailored to achieve the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:53 Jun 19, 2015
Jkt 235001
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4705
Sfmt 4790
E:\FR\FM\22JNE0.SGM
22JNE0
ED22JN15.038
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with E0
overriding interest that justified the closure. Convening authorittes or preliminary hearing
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 119 / Monday, June 22, 2015 / Presidential Documents
35799
officers must conclude that no lesser methods short of closing the preliminary hearing can be
used to protect the overriding interest in the case. Convening authorities or preliminary hearing
officers must conduct a case-by-case, witness-by-witness, circumstance-by-circumstance
analysis of whether closure is necessary. If a convening authority or preliminary hearing officer
believes closing the preliminary hearing is necessary, the convening authority or preliminary
hearing officer must make specific findings of fact in writing that support the closure. The
written findings of fact must be included in the report of preliminary hearing.
(5) Presence of accused. The further progress of the taking of evidence shall not be prevented
and the accused shall be considered to have waived the right to be present whenever the accused:
(A) After being notified of the time and place of the proceeding is voluntarily absent; or
(B) After being warned by the preliminary hearing officer that disruptive conduct will
cause removal from the proceeding, persists in conduct that is such as to justify exclusion from
the proceeding.
.
.
(6) Recording of the preliminary hearing. Counsel for the government shall ensure that the
preliminary hearing is recorded by a suitable recording device. A victim, as defined by subsection
(i)(2)(A) of this rule, may request access to, or a copy of, the recording of the proceedings. Upon
request, counsel for the government shall provide the requested access to, or a copy of, the
recording to the victl.m not later than a reasonable time following dismissal of the charges, unless
charges are dismissed for the purpose of re-referral, or court-martial adjournment. A victim is not
entitled to classified information or access to or a copy of a ~ecording of closed sessions that the
victim did not have the right to attend under subsectio~s (i)(2)(C) or (i)(2)(D) of this rule.
(7) Objections. Any objection alleging a failure to comply with this rule shall be made to the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:53 Jun 19, 2015
Jkt 235001
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4705
Sfmt 4790
E:\FR\FM\22JNE0.SGM
22JNE0
ED22JN15.039
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with E0
convening authority via the preliminary hearing officer.
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 119 (Monday, June 22, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 35798-35799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: X15-160622]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TD22JN15.038
[[Page 35799]]