Chicago Area

For the first time, The John Marshall Law School will host the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals for a Sept. 1 hearing in the case United States v. Alston. The 3:30 p.m. hearing in the law school's Baim Courtroom, is open to the public. The Army Court of Appeals routinely hears two cases each year at law schools outside of the Washington, D.C., area. This case is being held at John Marshall at the invitation of Lt. Col. Gene Baime, an associate judge on the three-judge appellate panel, who is an alumnus of the law school. The court is reviewing a sexual assault conviction. On May 30, 2008, an enlisted panel sitting as a general court-martial jury at Fort Riley, Kansas, convicted Specialist John Alston of aggravated sexual assault in violation of Article 120, Uniform Code of Military Justice.  Originally charged with rape, Alston was convicted of the lesser included offense of aggravated sexual assault. The court-martial sentenced Alston to reduction to the grade of private, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, confinement for 181 days, and separation from the service with a bad-conduct discharge. The case was automatically appealed to the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals.