Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary
The Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary is a unified trial judiciary composed of active duty and reserve military judges (and their support personnel) of the Navy and the Marine Corps who preside over courts-martial conducted worldwide. In doing so, we provide crucial support to commanders in ensuring the maintenance of good order and discipline within our operating forces, while always guaranteeing due process and fundamental fairness for every court-martial accused. Our duty and highest calling is to ensure the complete and absolute professionalism, fairness and integrity of our military justice system.
Western Judicial Circuit
The Western Judicial Circuit (WJC) is one of six trial circuits that make up the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary. The WJC is headed by the Circuit Military Judge who is located at Camp Pendleton, CA and is responsible to the Chief Judge of the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary for docketing and detailing military judges to preside over courts-martial arising within the WJC area of responsibility.
The WJC currently has 7 active duty Navy and Marine Corps military judges who are assigned to one of three judicial districts within the WJC. Each of the WJC judicial districts is headed by a Senior Military Judge. The three WJC judicial districts are the Northwest Judicial District, the Southwest Judicial District, and the Sierra Judicial District. The geographic areas of responsibility are as follows:
Northwest Judicial District: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming
Southwest Judicial District: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Colorado, and Utah (except those areas designated as within the Sierra District)
Sierra Judicial District: All Marine Corps bases, air stations, camps, depots and logistics bases within the Southwest District
Practice information
The Circuit Military Judge has delegated to the Senior Military Judges, subject to review, the authority to docket and detail military judges to all Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial convened within their respective judicial districts. Accordingly, Senior Military Judges and their Clerks of Court are the administrative point of contact for all cases arising within a particular judicial district. The Senior Military Judges and Clerks of Court may be reached at the following:
Northwest Judicial District:
Senior Military Judge and Clerk of Court
365 S. Barclay St.
Bldg 4333
Bremerton, WA 98314-5260
Phone (360) 476-6466
Fax (360) 476-6930
Southwest Judicial District:
Senior Military Judge and Clerk of Court
3395 Sturtevant Street, Suite 8
San Diego, California 92136-5025
Phone (619) 556-1672
Fax (619) 556-6581
DSN 526-xxxx
Sierra Judicial District:
Senior Military Judge and Clerk of Court
Box 555023
Bldg 22161
Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5023
Phone (760) 725-6273
Fax (760) 725-6339
DSN 365-xxxx
All counsel, military and civilian, appearing before courts-martial within the WJC are required to follow: the Rules of Court of the Chief Judge, Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary (
Uniform Rules); the WJC Rules of Court (
WJC Circuit Rules); if promulgated, applicable judicial district rules of court; and,
JAGINST 5803.1B (Professional Conduct of Attorneys Practicing Under the Cognizance and Supervision of the Judge Advocate General). Civilian counsel are required to file a notice of appearance immediately after being retained. A Notice of Appearance may be downloaded
here and faxed to the Clerk of Court of the judicial district in which the case is being adjudicated.
Weekly Docket
The weekly WJC docket promulgates the next week's court schedule for all of the judicial districts within the WJC. In the normal course of docketing, on Wednesdays the Senior Military Judges submit their judicial district dockets and detailing of military judges to the Circuit Military Judge for consolidation, review, and approval. The Circuit Military Judge may, in his discretion, decide otherwise and detail a specific military judge to any specific case.
Once approved, the consolidated WJC docket is normally published every Thursday. Once the WJC docket is published, changes may be made only with the approval of the Circuit Military Judge, the Senior Military Judge, or the military judge assigned to a specific case.
Public or media inquiries pertaining to a case should be directed to the appropriate Public Affairs Office (PAO) listed below:
MCI-West/MCB Camp Pendleton: (760) 725-5799
MCRD, San Diego: (619) 524-8724/8720
MCAS, Miramar: (858) 577-6000
MCAGCC, Twentynine Palms: (760) 830-3760
MCAS, Yuma: (928) 269-3612/2275
Naval Base San Diego: (619) 532-1430 or (619) 556-7359
Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton: (360) 627-4031/4030
Links
Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals
Court of Appeals for the Armed Services
Navy Judge Advocate General
Army Judge Advocate General
SJA to CMC