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JUDGES

The judges of the Court sit as a single panel on all cases.  Typically, all five judges participate in each case, but the Court’s rules provide that a quorum is established by participation of a majority of the active judges.  The Chief Judge also has discretion to call upon a former judge of the Court who is in senior judge status to sit as a senior judge if an active judge is unable to participate.  If a senior judge is not available, the Chief Judge may request that the Chief Justice of the United States designate a judge of a United States Court of Appeals or United States District Court to serve with the Court.

Article 142 of the UCMJ provides that each judge “shall be appointed from civilian life.”  To underscore the civilian nature of the Court, the statute provides that a person who has retired from the armed forces after 20 or more years of active service “shall not be considered to be in civilian life.”

The judges are linked to the judges of the Article III courts of appeals for purposes of compensation.

The position of Chief Judge is rotated among the judges to the most senior judge who has not previously served as Chief Judge.  The Chief Judge serves in that position for five years unless his or her term as a judge expires sooner.  Prior to 1992, the Chief Judge was designated by the President from among the sitting judges.
   

Current Judges

Judicial Oath Taken

Expiration of Term

Andrew S. Effron

(Chief Judge)

Aug. 1, 1996 

Sept. 30, 2011

James E. Baker

Sept. 19, 2000

Sept. 30, 2015

Charles E. “Chip” Erdmann

Oct. 15, 2002

Sept. 30, 2017

Scott W. Stucky

Dec. 20, 2006

Sept. 30, 2021

Margaret A. Ryan

Dec. 20, 2006 

Sept. 30, 2021


 

Prior Judges

Active service

Robert E. Quinn

June 20, 1951 - April 25, 1975

George W. Latimer

June 20, 1951 - May 1, 1961

Paul W. Brosman

June 20, 1951 - Dec. 21, 1955

Homer Ferguson

April 9, 1957 - May 21, 1976

Paul J. Kilday

Sept. 25, 1961 - Oct. 12, 1968

William H. Darden

Nov. 13, 1968 - Dec. 29, 1973

Robert M. Duncan

Nov. 29, 1971 - July 11, 1974

William H. Cook

Aug. 21, 1974 - June 30, 1984

Albert B. Fletcher, Jr.

April 30, 1975 - Sept. 11, 1985

Matthew J. Perry

Feb. 18, 1976 - Sept. 22, 1979

Robinson O. Everett

April 16, 1980 - Jan. 1, 1992

Walter T. Cox III

Sept. 6, 1984 - Sept. 18, 2000

Eugene R. Sullivan

May 27, 1986 - Sept. 30, 2002

Susan J. Crawford

Nov. 19, 1991 - Sept. 30, 2006

H.F. “Sparky” Gierke

Nov. 20, 1991 - Sept. 30, 2006

Robert E. Wiss

Jan 2, 1992 - Oct. 23, 1995


   

Chief Judges

    Robert E. Quinn  (l95l - l97l)

    William H. Darden  (l97l - l973)

    Robert M. Duncan  (l973 - l974)

    Albert B. Fletcher, Jr.  (l975 - l980)

    Robinson O. Everett  (l980 - l990)

    Eugene R. Sullivan  (l990 - 1995)

    Walter T. Cox III  (1995 - 1999)

    Susan J. Crawford  (1999 - 2004)

    H.F. "Sparky" Gierke (2004 -2006)

     Andrew S. Effron (2006 – present)

 

 

Current Senior Judges

See Article 142(e), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. ยง 942(e)

William H. Darden

Robinson O. Everett

Walter T. Cox III

Eugene R. Sullivan

Susan J. Crawford

H.F. "Sparky" Gierke

 

(Page Updated Dec 22, 2006)

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