Originally Posted by Joe Obenberger

The comparison between military courts and civilian courts is pretty complicated. While I was in the JAG Corps, young, idealistic, and without experience in civilian courts, I thought that the military system was monstrously unfair. Indeed, there are some elements that I still dislike about it. But, having seen the alternative, the criminal justice system as it works in Illinois and in federal courts, I see that the military system has some areas where it is better and fairer. Especially in the quality of legal defense services provided. I no longer think that the system of courts martial is terrible. Each system has plusses and minuses, somebody's calculus of fairness weighed against other interests, like cost and manpower, and differing ideas of decency and fairness. What I've learned from this is to master the rules and process and use every advantage in each system for the benefit of a client - and those benefits will be different from place to place - and to find ways around the disadvantages of each system. Maybe that's not a great answer but it's the best I can do.