Military Jury System Needs Safeguards Found in Civilian Federal Courts

The convening authority has broad authority in the military jury selection process. This jury system is in sharp contrast to the civilian federal court system, which guarantees the accused a trial by a jury randomly selected from a cross section of the community. The potential for abuse is clearly seen in the power of the convening authority to select jurors, in combination with the low number of jurors needed to convict.