5924.37 Unlawful influence. - Ohio Statutes

5924.37 Unlawful influence.

(A) No authority convening a general, special, or summary court-martial, nor any other commanding officer, or officer serving on the staff thereof, may censure, reprimand, or admonish the court or any member, military judge, or counsel thereof, with respect to the findings or sentence adjudged by the court, or with respect to any other exercise of its or his functions in the conduct of the proceeding. No person subject to this code may attempt to coerce or, by any unauthorized means, influence the action of the court-martial or any other military tribunal or any member thereof in reaching the findings or sentence in any case, or the action of any convening, approving, or reviewing authority with respect to his judicial acts. This division does not apply to:

(1) General instructional or informational courses in military justice, if such courses are designed solely for the purpose of instructing members of a command in the substantive and procedural aspects of courts-martial;

(2) Statements and instructions given in open court by the military judge, the president of a special court-martial, or counsel.

(B) In the preparation of an effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency report or any other report or document used in whole or in part for the purpose of determining whether a member of the organized militia is qualified to be advanced in grade, or in determining the assignment or transfer of a member of the organized militia, or in determining whether a member of the organized militia should be retained in an active status, no person subject to this code may, in preparing any such report:

(1) Consider or evaluate the performance of duty of any such member of a court-martial;

(2) Give a less favorable rating or evaluation of any member of the organized militia because of the zeal with which such member, as counsel, represented any accused before a court-martial.

Effective Date: 07-17-1970