Legal Services

Military Justice

*This regulation supersedes AE Regulation 27-10, 16 July 2007.

For the Commander:

RUSSELL L. FRUTIGER
Brigadier General, GS
Chief of Staff

Official:

DWAYNE J. VIERGUTZ
Chief, Army in Europe
    Document Management

Summary. This regulation—

Summary of Change. This revision updates—

Applicability. This regulation applies to commanders, judge advocates, and U.S. Army personnel under the disciplinary control and military-justice jurisdiction of the CG, USAREUR/7A.

Supplementation. Organizations will not supplement this regulation without Judge Advocate (JA), USAREUR (AEAJA-MC), approval.

Forms. This regulation prescribes AE Form 27-10B and AE Form 27-10C. AE and higher level forms are available through the Army in Europe Publishing System (AEPUBS).

Records Management. Records created as a result of processes prescribed by this regulation must be identified, maintained, and disposed of according to AR 25-400-2. Record titles and descriptions are available on the Army Records Information Management System website at https://www.arims.army.mil.

Suggested Improvements. The proponent of this regulation is the USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC, DSN 370-8775). Users may suggest improvements to this regulation by sending DA Form 2028 to the USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351.

Distribution. B (AEPUBS)

CONTENTS

1. Purpose
2. References
3. Explanation of Abbreviations
4. Supervision of Military Justice in Europe
5. Personnel of Other Military Services
6. Persons Not Subject to Court-Martial Jurisdiction
7. International Agreements
8. Action Taken by a Superior Article 15, UCMJ, Authority
9. Preferring Charges and Pretrial Restraint
10. Standards for Pretrial Confinement
11. General Court-Martial Convening Authorities
12. Area Court-Martial Jurisdiction
13. Prohibition on Random Hair Analysis to Test for Use of Controlled Substances
14. Victim/Witness Assistance Program
15. Attendance of Witnesses
16. Reports of Trial Results
17. Release of Trial Results
18. Distribution of Court-Martial Orders
19. Reports and Copies of Disciplinary Actions Required by HQ USAREUR/7A
20. Transfer of Military Personnel for Prosecution Outside the European Theater
21. Bars to Entry

Appendixes
A. References
B. Sample Information Letter for U.S. Victims
C. Sample Information Letter for German Victims (Informationen für deutsche Geschädigte) (English and German Versions)
D. Sample Information Letter for U.S. Witnesses
E. Sample Information Letter for German Witnesses (Informationen für deutsche Zeugen) (English and German Versions)
F. Civilian Witnesses From the United States
G. Compensating Witnesses and Experts and the Fee Schedule for Experts (Translation of Applicable German Laws)

Figures
B-1. Sample Information Letter for U.S. Victims
B-2. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for U.S. Victims
C-1. Sample Information Letter for German Victims
C-2. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for German Victims
C-3. Sample Information Letter for German Victims (German)
C-4. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for German Victims (German)
D-1. Sample U.S. Witness Information Letter
D-2. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for U.S. Witnesses
E-1. Sample Information Letter for German Witnesses
E-2. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for German Witnesses
E-3. Sample Information Letter for German Witnesses (German)
E-4. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for German Witnesses (German)
F-1. Sample Witness Information Sheet for Civilian Witnesses From the United States Who Testify in Courts-Martial in Europe

Glossary

1. PURPOSE
This regulation prescribes policy and procedures governing the administration of military justice in the European theater.

2. REFERENCES
Appendix A lists references.

3. EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS
The glossary defines abbreviations used in this regulation.

4. SUPERVISION OF MILITARY JUSTICE IN EUROPE

a. The USAREUR Judge Advocate (JA) is responsible for the general supervision of military justice in the European theater. Questions about military justice should be referred to the USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351.

b. Commanders and staff judge advocates (SJAs) will send copies of the following to the address in subparagraph a above:


(1) Notifications that may be of interest to the JA (for example, cases that may generate significant publicity, capital referrals, Government writs, appeals).

(2) Requests for exception to policy that need to be forwarded to HQDA or to the Government Appellate Division.

5. PERSONNEL OF OTHER MILITARY SERVICES
Offenses by a member of another military Service normally will be referred to that Service for appropriate action.

6. PERSONS NOT SUBJECT TO COURT-MARTIAL JURISDICTION

a. Persons not subject to court-martial jurisdiction in peacetime (for example, civilian employees and Family members) are subject to—


(1) Disciplinary or administrative actions (AE Reg 27-9).

(2) Criminal jurisdiction of host-nation authorities.

(3) Military jurisdiction under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act.

b. Commanders considering cases against these persons should consult the local SJA.

7. INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

a. Coordination With Local Legal-Liaison Authority. In cases subject to the concurrent jurisdiction of the host nation, the SJA of the command exercising general court-martial (GCM) jurisdiction over the accused will coordinate activities regarding these cases with the local legal-liaison authority in Germany or the U.S. country representative outside Germany. Questions about particular cases should be directed to the SJA concerned.

b. Investigation. Subject to the provisions of international agreements (AE Reg 550-50 and AE Reg 550-56), investigators and commanders will take expeditious action in cases subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Investigation of incidents involving personnel subject to the UCMJ will begin immediately. Commanders will not delay processing a case pending host-nation action on jurisdiction. Specifically in Germany, commanders will not delay processing a case pending expiration of the 21-day notification period (AE Reg 550-56). When charges are appropriate, they will be preferred and investigative procedures, including Article 32 investigations, if necessary, will be completed. If an Article 32 investigation is necessary, it will be completed even if the host country—


(1) Recalls its waiver (Germany only).

(2) Exercises criminal jurisdiction (countries other than Germany).

c. Referral to Trial. The convening authority may refer a case to trial, subject to waiver of jurisdiction by host-nation authorities. When a case is referred to trial before waiver of jurisdiction, the convening authority will notify the JA (USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351), and the Chief Circuit Judge, 5th Judicial Circuit, Mannheim Law Center, Unit 29901, Box 23, APO AE 09086-9901.

d. Disposition. Cases subject to the exercise of host-nation jurisdiction will not be tried until the local legal-liaison authority or U.S. country representative provides confirmation that jurisdiction has been waived. Proceedings under Article 15, UCMJ, or other disposition of these cases will be according to AE Regulation 550-50 and AE Regulation 550-56.

8. ACTION TAKEN BY A SUPERIOR ARTICLE 15, UCMJ, AUTHORITY
If a superior authority does not have a servicing judge advocate, that authority will refer Article 15, UCMJ, appeals to the SJA of the area general court-martial convening authority (GCMCA) (para 11). When time is critical or when communication with the judge advocate who normally would consider the appeal and advise the superior authority would be unduly time consuming, the appeal may be referred to another U.S. Army judge advocate authorized to review Article 15 appeals.

9. PREFERRING CHARGES AND PRETRIAL RESTRAINT

a. Commanders will notify their servicing SJA within 24 hours after charges have been preferred against or pretrial restraint has been imposed on a Soldier. Pretrial restraint includes conditions on—


(1) Liberty.

(2) Restriction.

(3) Arrest.

(4) Confinement (Rule for Courts-Martial (RCM) 304(a)).

b. Failure to comply with this policy does not—


(1) Affect the validity of pretrial restraint.

(2) Create any rights for the accused.

10. STANDARDS FOR PRETRIAL CONFINEMENT

a. Authority to Approve Pretrial Confinement. The GCMCA or an authorized designee must approve pretrial confinement of U.S. Army personnel. The SJA must be notified before confinement if the SJA is not the designee who approved confinement.

b. Commander’s Responsibilities. At the time of initial pretrial confinement, the commander ordering pretrial confinement will comply with AR 190-47 and AE Regulation 190-47, and will give the confinement facility commander, the military magistrate servicing that confinement facility, and the defense counsel the following:


(1) DA Form 5112 completed by the commander (AR 27-10).

(2) Two copies of DD Form 2707 completed by the accused’s commander. The form must show—


(a) The name, grade, and position of the person approving the pretrial confinement.

(b) The name and grade of the SJA notified.

(3) AE Form 27-10B—


(a) Completed by the advising counsel.

(b) Signed by the counsel and the accused before confinement.

(4) Statements of witnesses and military police, United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC) reports, or other evidence establishing probable cause that the accused committed an offense triable by court-martial and that confinement is required by the circumstances.

(5) A copy of DD Form 458, if already prepared.

(6) Proper clothing and equipment for the accused and a completed personal-property inventory signed by the accused and his or her commander as required by AR 190-47 and AE Regulation 190-47.

c. Ordered Prisoner Release. When a competent authority orders release of an accused, the accused’s unit commander will immediately remove the accused from confinement. Abuses of pretrial confinement will be reported to the USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351.

d. Pretrial Confinement of U.S. Military Personnel Subject to Criminal Jurisdiction of Foreign Courts.


(1) AR 27-10, chapter 17, authorizes GCMCAs to confine U.S. Soldiers in U.S. installation confinement facilities (ICFs) based on foreign criminal charges to meet any custodial obligations under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement. Before exercising this authority, the GCMCA must obtain, by telephone, the approval of the JA. The POC is the Military and Civil Law Division, Office of the Judge Advocate (OJA), HQ USAREUR/7A (AEAJA-MC, DSN 370-8775).

(2) If the JA disapproves a request by a GCMCA to confine a U.S. Soldier pending foreign charges, the GCMCA may appeal the decision to the CG, USAREUR/7A. The decision of the CG, USAREUR/7A, is final.

(3) When reviewing a case involving the pretrial confinement of a U.S. Soldier in a U.S. ICF based on foreign criminal charges, a recommendation by a neutral military magistrate or comparable legal officer that confinement is not necessary must be preceded by consultation with the OJA (AEAJA-MC). The recommendation will be sent through the USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351, for CG, USAREUR/7A, review. The CG, USAREUR/7A, may direct release from confinement or order other appropriate actions.

11. GENERAL COURT-MARTIAL CONVENING AUTHORITIES
USAREUR GCMCAs are defined by the current USAREUR area jurisdiction memorandum. The memorandum establishes USAREUR area jurisdiction and is maintained by the OJA Military and Civil Law Division.

12. AREA COURT-MARTIAL JURISDICTION

a. GCMCA jurisdictional responsibilities are listed in a jurisdictional memorandum approved by the CG, USAREUR/7A, and issued by the JA. The jurisdictional memorandum lists specific geographic areas and responsibilities assigned to each GCMCA under the area jurisdiction concept.

b. The following personnel are attached (c below) for the administration of military justice to the command exercising GCM jurisdiction in the specific geographic area in which the personnel are stationed:


(1) Personnel assigned to HQ USAREUR/7A.

(2) Personnel assigned to USAREUR commands (AE Reg 10-5, app A) and their subordinate units and to IMCOM-Europe commands and their subordinate units.

(3) Individual U.S. Army personnel or personnel assigned to U.S. Army units, including United States Army National Guard (ARNG) and United States Army Reserve (USAR) units, attached to USAREUR or IMCOM-Europe. Units include brigades, battalions, companies, commands, platoons, squads, elements, detachments, teams, activities, agencies, field offices, branches, and crews, whether there is a designated commander, chief, officer in charge, or noncommissioned officer in charge. ARNG and USAR units in the European theater are under the disciplinary control and military-justice jurisdiction of the CG, USAREUR/7A.

(4) Army personnel stationed in a GCMCA-area jurisdiction who are attached for the administration of military justice to units, elements, or commands in (1), (2), or (3) above, or are otherwise present in the USEUCOM area of responsibility, including personnel who are assigned or attached to—


(a) U.S. Army elements of military assistance advisory groups, missions, and similar units.

(b) U.S. Army elements of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and its subordinate units.

(c) U.S. Army elements of the USEUCOM and its subordinate units.

(d) U.S. Army units (including units from the ARNG and the USAR).

c. Attachments include the administration of military justice, unless specifically excluded in an order of attachment or memorandum of understanding between the CG, USAREUR/7A, and the parent-headquarters GCMCA.

d. Because of area jurisdiction, two commanders may have authority for military justice over a particular Soldier (for example, the commander of the unit to which the Soldier is assigned and the commander exercising area jurisdiction over the Soldier). In Europe, the GCMCA-area jurisdiction memorandum (a above) provides geographic areas and responsibilities assigned to each GCMCA, except as provided in (1) through (5) below. Failure to comply with this policy, however, does not invalidate an otherwise lawful exercise of jurisdiction.


(1) For units or unit elements of not more than 10 Soldiers, GCMCAs may agree to allow exceptions, in whole or in part, to area court-martial jurisdiction. If for example, an infantry squad of not more than 10 Soldiers is in GCM-area A and its parent platoon is in GCM-area B, GCMCAs of areas A and B may agree to allow command-line jurisdiction across the GCM area boundary. The written approval of both GCMCAs is required.

(2) For units or unit elements of more than 10 Soldiers, exceptions to area court-martial jurisdiction require the approval of the CG, USAREUR/7A, except as provided in (3) and (4) below.

(3) For units or unit elements of any size, the GCMCAs may agree to allow Article 15, UCMJ, jurisdiction to follow command lines across GCM-area boundaries.

(4) Area-jurisdiction affiliations continue when Soldiers deploy outside their GCMCA-area jurisdiction. During out-of-area deployments, military-justice jurisdiction remains with the unit’s permanent-duty-station GCMCA, unless otherwise agreed on by the GCMCAs concerned or modified by the CG, USAREUR/7A.

(5) With the consent of the GCMCAs concerned, commanders exercising court-martial jurisdiction may agree to transfer court-martial jurisdiction in a particular case across GCM-area boundaries. When the Soldier to be transferred is not already assigned or attached to the gaining command, the gaining command may publish attachment orders.

e. Except as noted in (1) through (3) below, commanders exercising GCM jurisdiction have supervisory authority for the administration of military justice in their prescribed geographic areas. In these GCM areas, jurisdiction over inferior courts-martial and Article 15, UCMJ, proceedings are matters solely within the discretion of the GCMCA. Except as noted below, the GCMCA may permit complete command-line jurisdiction; provide, by attachment, for area-type jurisdiction; or combine the two. GCMCA includes—


(1) Responsibilities specified in the UCMJ and the Manual for Courts-Martial (MCM), United States, 2008.

(2) Authority to implement policy and procedures concerning the administration of military justice.

(3) Authority to use personnel resources as necessary to take actions based on (1) and (2) above. This includes the authority to detail U.S. Army personnel, to include personnel assigned to tenant units, within the GCMCA’s prescribed geographic area to serve as court-martial panel members.

NOTE: As an exception to the area jurisdiction concept (e above), the Commander, 202d Military Police Group, will not be divested of his or her command-line authority under Article 15, UCMJ, over assigned personnel or those attached for UCMJ purposes.

f. The administration of military justice according to area jurisdiction includes—


(1) Summary courts-martial, special courts-martial, and GCM jurisdiction.

(2) Article 15, UCMJ, authority over officers and enlisted personnel.

(3) Discharge under AR 635-200. This includes a specific delegation of authority by the CG, USAREUR/7A, to GCMCAs specified in paragraph 11 of this regulation, to act according to AR 635-200, paragraph 14-9.

(4) Retention beyond expiration of term of service in connection with court-martial charges or arrest according to AR 635-200.

(5) Elimination of officers according to AR 600-8-24.

(6) Resignations and requests for discharge according to AR 600-8-24.

NOTE: For (5) and (6) above, a recommendation must be received from the commanding general in the chain of command, when different from the area-jurisdiction GCMCA. Any recommendation from the commanding general in the chain of command should be made before the area-jurisdiction GCMCA recommendation.

(7) Administrative reductions in grade for enlisted personnel according to AR 600-8-19.

(8) Applications for discharge as a conscientious objector according to AR 600-43.

(9) Line-of-duty determinations according to AR 600-8-4.

(10) Release of military personnel to civil authorities according to AR 190-9 and AR 630-10.

(11) Requests for military personnel to appear as witnesses before a foreign tribunal according to AR 27-40.

(12) Remission or cancellation of indebtedness according to AR 600-4.

(13) Article 138, UCMJ, complaints according to AR 27-10.

(14) Claims according to Article 139, UCMJ, and AR 27-20.

(15) Unless GCMCAs otherwise agree, mandatory general-officer memorandums of reprimand for driving while intoxicated (AE Reg 190-1).

(16) Qualitative Management Program appeals and bars to reenlistment according to AR 601-280 requiring GCMCA action.

(17) Other actions that Army regulations or other Army in Europe regulations require to be taken by persons exercising GCMCA.

g. Administrative actions not specified in subparagraph f above remain in command channels.

h. GCMCAs will notify the JA (AEAJA-MC, DSN 370-8775) before taking judicial, nonjudicial, or adverse administrative action against commissioned and warrant officers assigned or attached to HQ USAREUR/7A.

13. PROHIBITION ON RANDOM HAIR ANALYSIS TO TEST FOR USE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
Random hair analysis will not be used to test for the use of controlled substances without the approval of the CG, USAREUR/7A. In coordination with their servicing SJAs, GCMCAs may request approval by sending a request to the USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351. Using hair analysis to test for controlled substances when probable cause exists is not prohibited. Specific questions may be sent to the JA at the address above or by calling the Military and Civil Law Division at DSN 370-8775.

14. VICTIM/WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

a. AR 27-10 prescribes the Victim/Witness Assistance Program. The JA is responsible for the Victim/Witness Assistance Program. SJAs will comply with reporting and coordination requirements in AR 27-10 and those established by the JA.

b. The following information letters will be used to implement the program in the European theater.


(1) Information letter for U.S. victims (app B).

(2) Information letter for German victims (app C).

(3) Information letter for U.S. witnesses (app D).

(4) Information letter for German witnesses (app E).

NOTE: The letters in (1) through (4) above are for use in Germany. If used in another country, these letters must be modified and translated to meet the specific country’s legal requirements.

c. SJAs will prepare an enclosure to attach to each of the letters in b(1) through (4) above. The enclosure must include—


(1) The name of the SJA.

(2) The telephone number of the victim/witness assistance officer.

(3) A list of people and agencies, including telephone numbers and locations, that are sources of assistance in the local area.

d. Civilian witnesses from the United States who testify at courts-martial in Europe present unique payment problems. Appendix F prescribes how to pay these witnesses. In addition to the information in appendix D, U.S. civilian witnesses will receive a copy of the Witness Information Sheet for Civilian Witnesses From the United States Who Testify in Courts-Martial in Europe (app F, fig F-1).

15. ATTENDANCE OF WITNESSES

a. Military Personnel.


(1) Attendance Before Civil Court. Requests for military witnesses to attend a civil-court proceeding must comply with AR 27-40, AR 195-2, AE Regulation 550-50, and AE Regulation 550-56.

(2) Request for Court-Martial Witness Confined in U.S. Army Correctional Facilities. U.S. Army correctional facilities will help commands secure the presence of prisoners as witnesses. Commands requesting witnesses in courts-martial will—


(a) Send the following information to the confinement facility using the quickest means available to ensure the facility gets the information at least 7 days before the prisoner’s presence is required:


1. Name of the prisoner.

2. Purpose for which the prisoner is needed.

3. Date the prisoner is required.

4. Date of the prisoner’s return to the confinement facility (approximate date if the specific date is not known).

5. Name and grade of the escort (all escorts will be unarmed noncommissioned officers).

6. Name, grade, and telephone number of the requesting command’s SJA POC.

(b) Provide and pay for escorts, including transportation and lodging. The requesting command will provide round-trip transportation tickets for the escort and one-way transportation tickets for the prisoner before they leave the confinement facility. Travel reservations should remain open for the return trip to coordinate prisoner and escort travel. Commands must ensure escorts have sufficient funds to cover their own expenses and those of the prisoner, such as for meals, in case of unexpected delays in travel. Escorts who arrive without proper tickets or fund cites may be delayed from leaving the confinement facility. Prisoners will be billeted in local military confinement facilities while at the requesting command.

b. Witnesses Not Subject to the UCMJ. The following applies to witnesses not subject to the UCMJ:


(1) Government Employees. Requests for U.S. and local national (LN) employees of the U.S. Government to appear as witnesses before courts-martial will be made to the employee’s supervisor. The supervisor will take action to ensure employees attend. Employees may not be ordered or directed to testify against their will. However, employees are subject to subpoena. Requests for USACIDC laboratory examiners to appear at legal proceedings must be made by priority message at least 10 workdays before the requested appearance date (AR 195-2).

(2) Family Members. When appropriate, Family members will be asked to appear voluntarily as witnesses before courts-martial. Appropriate arrangements will be made through their sponsors.

(3) Expert Witnesses. Expert witnesses will be employed according to the MCM, Defense Finance and Accounting Service-Indianapolis (DFAS-IN) Regulation 37-1, RCM 703, and appendix G (this reg).

(4) Other Civilian Witnesses. When appropriate, civilian witnesses other than those in (1) through (3) above will be asked to appear at courts-martial. When voluntary attendance cannot be obtained, local civil authorities (police, public prosecutors, and judicial authorities) may be contacted. Before contacting witnesses or local civil authorities, coordination will be made with local legal-liaison authorities in Germany (AE Reg 550-56) or the U.S. country representative outside Germany (AE Reg 550-50). This authority or representative will send the request to the appropriate public prosecutor with jurisdiction over the area in which the witness resides. As soon as possible before testifying, the witness will be given a copy of the appropriate information letter (apps D or E, as applicable).

c. Fees and Allowances. DFAS-IN Regulation 37-1 governs the payment of fees and allowances for witnesses and interpreters attending courts-martial. As a general rule, rates of pay and allowances will be the same as those provided for witnesses and interpreters attending courts in the United States.


(1) In Germany, disbursing officers are authorized to pay the rate prescribed in DFAS-IN Regulation 37-1 or the rate provided by German law, whichever is higher. Appendix G of this regulation is a translation of applicable German laws on compensating witnesses and experts and is a translation of a fee schedule for experts.

(2) Local residents who are not considered Government employees according to DFAS-IN Regulation 37-1 but who are entitled to pay and allowances under employment contracts with the U.S. Government while attending courts-martial will be paid according to their contracts.

(3) Local residents who are not authorized pay and allowances under employment contracts while attending courts-martial will be paid the same fees and allowances as other witnesses and interpreters.

(4) Trial counsel and summary courts-martial officers will ensure necessary vouchers are prepared and procure the necessary supporting documents to pay witnesses and interpreters according to DFAS-IN Regulation 37-1.

d. Requests To Appear and Testify. Requests for personnel not in the U.S. military to appear and testify may be made by using AE Form 27-10C. AE Form 27-10C may be used to support a voucher for the payment of witness fees and allowances. This form is designed for use in Germany. If used elsewhere, AE Form 27-10C should be translated into the language of the country in which the form is used before being reproduced.

e. Procedures for Requesting Civilian Witnesses Residing in the United States. When attendance of a witness who resides in the United States is essential, the request for the witness to attend will be prepared according to appendix F. Requests for civilian witnesses from the United States must be received by the United States Army Legal Services Agency (USALSA) at least 14 days before the desired arrival date. If the passport status of the witness is unknown or the witness does not have a valid passport, the USALSA will require additional notice time.

f. Reimbursing Witnesses. The finance office of the requesting command will process paperwork to compensate witnesses before they leave the command. Military-justice personnel will ensure necessary vouchers and supporting documents are prepared and processed quickly and that witnesses are paid according to the following guidelines:


(1) Fees and allowances provided for in DFAS-IN Regulation 37-1 will be used when the computed amounts are higher than or equal to witness entitlements under German law.

(2) When the entitlement of a witness under German law (app G) is more than when computed in (1) above, payment will be based on German law.

(3) Claims for loss of pay will be substantiated by a written statement from the employer of the witness. The statement will include the witness’s tour of duty, the number of workhours lost, and the amount of wages or salary lost while serving as a witness. The statement will be part of the voucher.

(4) Claims for reimbursing experts will be substantiated as required by DFAS-IN Regulation 37-1.

16. REPORTS OF TRIAL RESULTS
On final court adjournment, the trial counsel will inform the accused’s immediate unit commander about trial results in writing, including any findings reached and the sentence imposed by the court. Copies of trial-result reports will be given to the convening authority or his or her designee. When the accused is placed in confinement, a copy of the report will be sent to the confinement facility. Copies of trial-result reports in the types of cases listed in paragraph 4b(1) (for example, cases that may generate significant publicity, capital cases) will be sent to the USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351.

17. RELEASE OF TRIAL RESULTS
After the trial, the SJA may make a summary of the trial results available to the servicing public affairs office. The summary may include a brief statement of the facts and the sentence imposed.

18. DISTRIBUTION OF COURT-MARTIAL ORDERS
One copy of the initial court-martial promulgating orders and all supplementary court-martial orders will be issued to the military judge, trial counsel, and defense counsel.

19. REPORTS AND COPIES OF DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS REQUIRED BY HQ USAREUR/7A

a. Report of Judicial and Disciplinary Activity in the Army. The servicing SJA will file an electronic copy of DA Form 3169 (JAG-2 Report) at https://www.jagcnet.army.mil within 5 workdays after the last day of the month or, if GCM jurisdiction is discontinued, as soon as possible after discontinuation.

b. USAREUR Reports. On request from the JA, the SJA of each GCM jurisdiction will—


(1) Prepare periodic court-martial reports. These reports will list the number of courts-martial (summary, special, and general) tried during the reported period.

(2) Provide strength numbers for the respective GCMCA jurisdictions.

(3) Provide any additional information as may be requested.

(4) Send any requested reports to the USAREUR JA (AEAJA-MC), Unit 29351, APO AE 09014-9351.

20. TRANSFER OF MILITARY PERSONNEL FOR PROSECUTION OUTSIDE THE EUROPEAN THEATER
Transfer of military personnel for prosecution in civil court outside the European theater must be done according to the MCM, AR 190-9, AR 630-10, and RCM 106. Reassigning Soldiers from the European theater for trial by courts-martial outside the European theater must be done according to AR 614-6.

21. BARS TO ENTRY

a. Permanent Bars to Entry.


(1) The following persons are permanently barred entry to installations, housing areas, lands, buildings, or other structures or places under the control or jurisdiction of the CG, USAREUR/7A:


(a) Soldiers who are in an excess-leave status pending execution of an approved dishonorable discharge, bad-conduct discharge, or a dismissal.

(b) Former Soldiers who were discharged under other-than-honorable conditions or who have received a dishonorable discharge, bad-conduct discharge, or a dismissal.

(2) GCMCAs will issue permanent bar memorandums to individuals. Bar memorandums will notify barred individuals that they have been barred permanently and explain the terms of the bar. Bar memorandums will identify barred persons by—


(a) Social security number.

(b) Passport or host-nation identification card (for example, Ausweis) number, as appropriate.

(c) The status of the individual (that is, former Soldier, U.S. citizen, Family member, former member of another Service, LN citizen, LN employee, third-country national).

b. Other Bars to Entry.


(1) Theaterwide Bars. GCMCAs, United States Army garrison (USAG) commanders of direct-report garrisons; and the DCG, USAREUR/7A, acting for the CG, USAREUR/7A, also may issue orders barring entry to installations, housing areas, lands, buildings, or any other structures or places under the control or jurisdiction of the CG, USAREUR/7A. These bars may be issued for the following categories of individuals who have engaged in serious or repeated acts of misconduct or other activity that threatens good order, discipline, or morale; combat readiness; mission accomplishment; installation security; or the privacy rights of those who work or live on U.S. military installations:


(a) Civilians (including LN employees, local residents, and third-country nationals).

(b) U.S. citizens (including Federal employees and Family members).

(c) Members or former members of other Services.

(2) Delegation Prohibition. GCMCAs, USAG commanders, and the DCG, USAREUR/7A, may not delegate their authority to issue permanent bars to entry (a above) or theaterwide bars to entry ((1) above).

(3) Local Bars. USAG commanders and commanders who exercise GCM authority may issue local bar memorandums barring people from entering areas under their local control. This authority is inherent and is not limited by the issuance of other bar memorandums by a GCMCA or a USAG commander. Requests to have an offender barred from all Army in Europe areas and facilities should be sent by the civilian misconduct action authority to the USAG commander.

(4) Civilian Employee Bars. Commanders must coordinate bars against civilian employees (appropriated fund, nonappropriated fund (NAF), Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DODDS), and Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)) with the servicing civilian personnel advisory center (CPAC). When the person is a DODDS or AAFES employee, the bar must be coordinated with the employing activity.

(5) Medical Treatment Facilities. Commanders or their delegees may not bar offenders from access to medical treatment facilities.

(6) Bar Incidental Effects. Commanders or their delegees must be aware that bars from entry may have incidental effects, including—


(a) Denying a person access to AAFES facilities, commissaries, or other places (including attendance at DODDS schools) where privileges have not been abused.

(b) Making the person ineligible for future DA employment in the geographic area covered by the bar.

(c) Causing the separation of a NAF employee under AR 215-3. NAF employees may be considered disqualified when they are barred from the area of employment.

(7) Legal Review and Advice. Commanders imposing bars to entry on persons listed in (1)(a) through (c) and (3) above will obtain the legal review and the advice of their servicing SJA before acting to impose a bar to entry.

c. List of Barred Personnel.


(1) The GCMCA or USAG commander issuing a bar memorandum will send a copy to the IMCOM-Europe (IMEU-HRD-M), Unit 29353, Box 200, APO AE 09014-0200, within 15 days after the end of each quarter.

(2) IMCOM-Europe will maintain a consolidated list of persons barred from installations and facilities theaterwide. Official access to this list is available by contacting—


(a) IMCOM-Europe (IMEU-HRD-M) at DSN 379-8613/6029.

(b) Local USAG or tactical commanders or local CPACs. These commands and activities receive reports monthly.

d. Removing or Modifying Bars to Entry.


(1) Requests to remove or modify a bar to entry must be sent to the authority who issued the bar memorandum. Requests may not be made until at least 1 year after the effective date of the bar memorandum.

(2) Requests will explain why the bar should be lifted (why the individual no longer poses a threat to good order, discipline, or morale; combat readiness; mission accomplishment; installation security; or the privacy rights of those who work or live on U.S. military installations).

(3) Commanders should not remove or modify bars to entry until at least 1 year after the effective date of the memorandum. Commanders will seek the legal review and advice of their SJA before acting on requests to remove or modify bars to entry.

APPENDIX A
REFERENCES

SECTION I
PUBLICATIONS

Agreement Between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty Regarding the Status of Their Forces (NATO SOFA), 19 June 1951 (available at http://www.nato.int/docu/basictxt/b510619a.htm)

Agreement of 3 August 1959, as Amended by the Agreements of 21 October 1971, 18 May 1981, and 18 March 1993, to Supplement the Agreement Between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty Regarding the Status of their Forces With Respect to Foreign Forces Stationed in the Federal Republic of Germany (Revised Supplementary Agreement) (effective 29 March 1998), and the Protocol of Signature to the Supplementary Agreement (available at https://www.aeaim.hqusareur.army.mil/library/mis/natosofa/natosofa-1.htm)

Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, 2008

Uniform Code of Military Justice

The Joint Federal Travel Regulation: volume I; Uniformed Service Members

Joint Travel Regulations: volume II; DOD Civilian Personnel

Defense Finance and Accounting Service-Indianapolis Regulation 37-1, Finance and Accounting Policy Implementation

AR 25-400-2, The Army Records Information Management System (ARIMS)

AR 27-10, Military Justice

AR 27-20, Claims

AR 27-40, Litigation

AR 190-9, Absentee Deserter Apprehension Program and Surrender of Military Personnel to Civilian Law Enforcement Agencies

AR 190-47, The Army Corrections System

AR 195-2, Criminal Investigation Activities

AR 215-3, Nonappropriated Funds Personnel Policy

AR 600-4, Remission or Cancellation of Indebtedness

AR 600-8-1, Army Casualty Program

AR 600-8-4, Line of Duty Policy, Procedures, and Investigations

AR 600-8-19, Enlisted Promotions and Reductions

AR 600-8-24, Officer Transfers and Discharges

AR 600-43, Conscientious Objection

AR 601-280, Army Retention Program

AR 614-6, Permanent Change of Station Policy

AR 630-10, Absence Without Leave, Desertion, and Administration of Personnel Involved in Civilian Court Proceedings

AR 635-200, Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations

Soldier Training Publication 12-71D15-SM-TG, Soldiers Manual and Trainers Guide, MOS 71D, Legal Specialist Skill Levels 1/2/3/4/5

AE Regulation 10-5, Headquarters, United States Army Europe

AE Regulation 27-9, Misconduct by Civilians

AE Regulation 190-1/CNE-C6F Instruction 11240.6S/USAFE Instruction 31-202, Driver and Vehicle Requirements and the Installation Traffic Code for the U.S. Forces in Germany

AE Regulation 190-47, United States Army Corrections System in Europe

AE Regulation 550-50/USNAVEUR Instruction 5820.8K/USAFE Instruction 51-706, Exercise of Foreign Criminal Jurisdiction Over United States Personnel

AE Regulation 550-56/USNAVEUR Instruction 5820.13F/USAFE Instruction 51-705, Exercise of Jurisdiction by German Courts and Authorities Over U.S. Personnel

SECTION II
FORMS

SF 1156, Public Voucher for Fees and Mileage of Witnesses

SF 1157, Claim for Witness Attendance Fees, Travel and Miscellaneous Expenses

DD Form 458, Charge Sheet

DD Form 2707, Confinement Order

DA Form 2028, Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms

DA Form 3169, Report of Judicial Disciplinary Activity in the Army

DA Form 5112, Checklist for Pretrial Confinement

AE Form 27-10B, Advice to Accused Upon Confinement

AE Form 27-10C, Request to Appear and Testify/Aussageersuchen

APPENDIX B
SAMPLE INFORMATION LETTER FOR U.S. VICTIMS

Figure B-1 is a sample letter to be sent to a U.S. victim. Figure B-2 is a sample of enclosure 2 to the letter that explains the U.S. military justice system. This regulation, paragraph 14c, explains the information that must be included in enclosure 1.

Letterhead

Date

Name
Mailing address

Dear _________:

    This letter is being sent to you as part of the U.S. Army’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program. If you have questions that this letter does not answer, you should contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

    Enclosure 1 is a list that includes your victim/witness liaison officer’s telephone number and individuals and agencies that may serve as sources of victim assistance. Enclosure 2 is an explanation of the U.S. military justice system and how it works.

    As a victim and potential witness in a criminal matter that may be resolved in the U.S. Army military justice system, you are entitled to understand—

a. How the justice system works.

b. What you may expect from this system as a victim.

c. What this system asks of you.

Enclosures

Figure B-1. Sample Information Letter for U.S. Victims

THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

1. GENERAL
When a possible crime is brought to the attention of U.S. Army authorities, a couple of things happen:

a. First, military or German officials conduct an initial investigation.

b. Second, an evaluation is made to determine whether the Army has legal authority (jurisdiction) to investigate and prosecute the case or whether the case will be prosecuted by German civilian authorities. This determination is based on a number of factors as outlined in the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and the Supplementary Agreement.

2. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE U.S. ARMY DOES NOT HAVE JURISDICTION
If the Army does not have jurisdiction—

a. Appropriate German authorities will be notified. These authorities will determine whether or not prosecution is appropriate in German court.

b. You probably will receive no further notification from military authorities. At your request, the victim/witness liaison officer will advise you of the German civilian authorities who may be handling the matter.

3. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE U.S. ARMY HAS JURISDICTION
If the Army has jurisdiction, a decision will be made by the commanders having authority over the accused whether or not prosecution is appropriate. Potential punishment for criminal convictions can range from very minor sanctions, such as a reprimand, to more serious punishments, such as life imprisonment or, in certain cases such as premeditated murder, death. Offenses may be handled in one of the following ways:

a. The immediate commander of the accused may dismiss the charges. If the offenses are determined to be minor, the immediate commander may initiate nonjudicial punishment (Article 15, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)) proceedings. Under these proceedings, that commander determines guilt or innocence and has authority to impose small forfeitures of pay, reductions in pay grade, and restrictions, but may not send the accused to jail.

b. A commander who by law has the authority to convene administrative-elimination boards or courts-martial (trials) may handle more serious offenses, if appropriate.

c. In cases alleging serious offenses, normally a formal, preliminary hearing (known as an Article 32 investigation) is held to evaluate the quality and quantity of the evidence and to recommend what level of court-martial, if any, is appropriate. The different levels of courts-martial are as follows:


(1) Summary Court-Martial. The lowest level of courts-martial is the summary court-martial. At a summary court-martial, a military officer sits as judge and may sentence the accused. The maximum punishment that normally may be adjudged is forfeiture of two-thirds of 1 month’s pay, reduction in rank, and up to 30 days in jail.

(2) Special Court-Martial. A special court-martial is the intermediate level of court-martial and involves a legally qualified military judge and (at the option of the accused) a jury (called court members) of military personnel. It also has a prosecuting attorney (trial counsel) and entitles the accused to a defense attorney. If the accused requests, he or she may be tried by military judge alone. This court may impose a maximum sentence of fines or forfeiture of two-thirds pay for 6 months, reduction to the lowest enlisted grade, confinement in jail for up to 6 months, and in certain cases, a bad-conduct (punitive) discharge from the Army.

Enclosure 2

(3) General Court-Martial. A general court-martial is the highest level of court-martial and is usually reserved for serious military or civilian offenses (felonies). A general court-martial normally is ordered by an officer in the rank of general and involves a military judge and (at the option of the accused) a jury (called court members) of military personnel. It may impose up to the maximum permissible punishments authorized by law including, depending on the offenses involved, a fine, total forfeiture of pay, reduction to the lowest enlisted grade, a dishonorable (punitive) discharge, a period in jail up to life imprisonment or, for a few very serious offenses, death.

NOTE: Your victim/witness liaison officer can advise you regarding the maximum punishment for the offenses under investigation.

4. PRETRIAL AGREEMENT
If a case is sent to a special or general court-martial, a pretrial agreement (plea bargain) may be reached between the commander who authorized the court-martial and the accused. These agreements may be entered into for a number of reasons, including sparing a victim the trauma of testifying in court, eliminating the delay and cost of a lengthy trial, and reducing the risk of having a case reversed by an appellate court. Pretrial agreements usually provide that the accused plead guilty in exchange for a limit on the sentence or dismissal of certain charges.

WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT FROM THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

As a victim of an offense that is handled by the U.S. military justice system, you are entitled to courteous and compassionate consideration by military law enforcement and legal personnel and by other military personnel responsible for providing victim assistance services to you. Furthermore, you may expect the efforts of those charged with administrating the system to dispose of charges in a fair and timely manner. You may be entitled to some of the following services:

a. Medical and Social Services. Medical and social services are available for Soldiers and their Family members. Generally, civilians who are not Family members of military personnel are not legally entitled to these services.


(1) A military medical treatment facility (MTF) may provide emergency care if the MTF can furnish the service most expeditiously after an offense. In some cases, the MTF commander may waive charges for this treatment.

(2) DOD civilian employees and their Family members also may receive medical services; they will be charged at the prescribed rates.

(3) Medical treatment is available at the medical facility listed in enclosure 1. Civilians who are not eligible for nonemergency military medical treatment may get treatment at no cost to the U.S. Government at the local civilian facilities included in enclosure 1. Help with financial, legal, or other social matters related to the offense also may be obtained as shown in enclosure 1.

b. Notice of Critical Events. If you wish to be notified of critical events, provide your victim/witness liaison officer with your address and telephone number. He or she will notify you, in advance when circumstances allow, of the following events:


(1) Apprehension (arrest) of the accused.

(2) Pretrial release of the accused.

(3) Trial date or a guilty plea and sentencing proceedings.

NOTE: Questions pertaining to this notification should be directed to your victim/witness liaison officer.

c. Protection. If you believe that you are being subjected to bribery, threats, intimidation, or harassment as a victim (or potential witness), call the local or military police. Steps will be taken by appropriate authorities to investigate the matter and provide you with necessary protection.

2

d. Consultations With Prosecuting Officials. While the running of the military justice system, including handling the case in which you may be involved, is a decision left by U.S. Federal statute to certain military commanders, the U.S. Army recognizes the importance your views on certain issues may have in helping commanders make their decisions. For this reason, you may be requested to consult with commanders or their lawyers and prosecuting attorneys concerning any of the following matters:


(1) Entry (preferral) of charges against the accused.

(2) Dismissal of charges against the accused.

(3) Pretrial restraint (including confinement) of the accused.

(4) Plea negotiations (plea bargaining) between the accused and the Government.

NOTE: Questions concerning these matters should be directed to your victim/witness liaison officer.

e. Property Return and Restitution.


(1) Property Return. The U.S. Army will safeguard and return property as soon as possible to the lawful owner. However, if the property is required for evidence in a court-martial, it may be temporarily held. Your victim/witness liaison officer will advise you of the agency holding your property and procedures for having it returned.

(2) Restitution (Recovery for Victim’s Loss). The military justice system was established primarily to help maintain good order and military discipline rather than securing restitution for victims. There are various means of restitution, however, that might be available to you:


(a) The accused may be personally liable for personal injury done to you or for damage done to your property. If the accused is on active duty, you may be able to recover the value of certain property losses directly from his or her military pay, provided the claim is made within 90 days after the loss or good cause is shown for a claim filed later.

(b) Sometimes a claim may be made against the U.S. Army. You should discuss such claims against the accused or the Army promptly with the local Army claims office.

(c) A demand or lawsuit against the accused or other financially responsible parties for restitution for damages and injuries may be obtained under certain circumstances. You may get legal advice from your local legal assistance office or from your attorney.

(d) If you are a victim of a violent crime, you may be eligible for compensation from the competent Versorgungsamt (pension office) under the Opferentschädigungsgesetz (German Law Concerning Compensation for Victims of Violent Crimes).

f. Notification of Employers or Creditors. If, as a result of the incident, you are forced to be absent from work or you are subjected to serious financial strain, you are entitled to have those circumstances that contributed to your absence or financial hardship explained to your employer or creditors respectively. For assistance in obtaining an explanation, contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

g. Case Status and Notification of Hearings. If you have any questions concerning the status of the case or desire to provide input, contact your victim/witness liaison officer. You may have the opportunity to attend hearings in the case. However, if you are also a witness, the presiding officer or judge has the authority to exclude you when other evidence is being presented. If you wish to attend and if you provide the victim/witness liaison officer your current telephone number or address, you will be notified in advance of such hearings. Always call to confirm hearing dates immediately before attending to ensure that they have not been rescheduled.

3

WHAT THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM ASKS OF YOU

1. The military justice system is designed to—

a. Promote good order and discipline in the Armed Forces.

b. Provide a system for the just disposition of criminal offenders.

c. Provide a fair trial for the accused.

d. Prevent the commission of further crime.

e. Appropriately punish and rehabilitate those persons whose guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

2. To accomplish the goals of the military justice system, your cooperation with law enforcement and other military authorities is extremely important.

3. Victims often want to withdraw from the criminal justice process, perhaps because of fear, frustration, or simply the desire to get as far away from the incident as possible. Should you have any of these or similar feelings, it is certainly understandable. We ask, however, that while you may not be able to set them aside completely, you nevertheless do not let them prevent your essential cooperation.

4. The U.S. Army’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program, with its services for victims described in this letter (see “What You May Expect From the U.S. Military Justice System”), has been established to reduce the hardships of your experience and to make your cooperation easier. Take advantage of the program; by doing so, you will help the U.S. military justice system work and may, in the process, prevent others from becoming victims like yourself.

4

Figure B-2. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for U.S. Victims

APPENDIX C
SAMPLE INFORMATION LETTER FOR GERMAN VICTIMS (INFORMATIONEN FÜR DEUTSCHE GESCHÄDIGTE) (ENGLISH AND GERMAN VERSIONS)

Figure C-1 is a sample letter in English to be sent to a German victim. Figure C-2 is a sample of enclosure 2 in English. Figures C-3 and C-4 are German translations of figures C-1 and C-2 respectively. This regulation, paragraph 14c, explains the information required in enclosure 1.

Letterhead

Date

Name
Mailing address

    This letter is being sent to you as part of the U.S. Army’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program. If you have questions that this letter does not answer, you should contact your victim/witness liaison officer. (In some cases the victim/witness liaison officer may use a German-speaking interpreter as your point of contact.)

    Enclosure 1 is a list that includes your victim/witness liaison officer’s telephone number and individuals and agencies that may serve as sources of victim assistance. Enclosure 2 is an explanation of the U.S. military justice system and how it works.

    As a victim and potential witness in a criminal matter that may be resolved in the U.S. Army military justice system, you are entitled to understand—

a. How the justice system works.

b. What you may expect from this system as a victim.

c. What this system asks of you.

Enclosures

Figure C-1. Sample Information Letter for German Victims

THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

1. GENERAL
When a possible crime is brought to the attention of U.S. Army authorities, a couple of things happen:

a. First, military or German officials conduct an initial investigation.

b. Second, an evaluation is made to determine whether the Army has legal authority (jurisdiction) to investigate and prosecute the case or whether the case will be prosecuted by German civilian authorities. This determination is based on a number of factors as outlined in the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and the Supplementary Agreement.

2. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE U.S. ARMY DOES NOT HAVE JURISDICTION
If the Army does not have jurisdiction—

a. Appropriate German authorities will be notified. These authorities will determine whether or not prosecution is appropriate in German court.

b. You probably will receive no further notification from military authorities. At your request, the victim/witness liaison officer will advise you of the German civilian authorities who may be handling the matter.

3. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE U.S. ARMY HAS JURISDICTION
If the Army has jurisdiction, a decision will be made by the commanders having authority over the accused whether or not prosecution is appropriate. Potential punishment for criminal convictions can range from very minor sanctions, such as a reprimand, to more serious punishments, such as life imprisonment or, in certain cases such as premeditated murder, death. Offenses may be handled in one of the following ways:

a. The immediate commander of the accused may dismiss the charges. If the offenses are determined to be minor, the immediate commander may initiate nonjudicial punishment (Article 15, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)) proceedings. Under these proceedings, that commander determines guilt or innocence and has authority to impose small forfeitures of pay, reductions in pay grade, and restrictions, but may not send the accused to jail.

b. A commander who by law has the authority to convene administrative-elimination boards or courts-martial (trials) may handle more serious offenses if appropriate.

c. In cases alleging serious offenses, normally a formal, preliminary hearing (known as an Article 32 investigation) is held to evaluate the quality and quantity of the evidence and to recommend what level of court-martial, if any, is appropriate. The different levels of courts-martial are as follows:


(1) Summary Court-Martial. The lowest level of courts-martial is the summary court-martial. At a summary court-martial, a military officer sits as judge and may sentence the accused. The maximum punishment that normally may be adjudged is forfeiture of two-thirds of 1 month’s pay, reduction in rank, and up to 30 days in jail.

(2) Special Court-Martial. A special court-martial is the intermediate level of court-martial and involves a legally qualified military judge and (at the option of the accused) a jury (called court members) of military personnel. It also has a prosecuting attorney (trial counsel) and entitles the accused to a defense attorney. If the accused requests, he or she may be tried by military judge alone. This court may impose a maximum sentence of fines or forfeiture of two-thirds pay for 6 months, reduction to the lowest enlisted grade, confinement in jail for up to 6 months, and in certain cases, a bad-conduct (punitive) discharge from the Army.

Enclosure 2

(3) General Court-Martial. A general court-martial is the highest level of court-martial and is usually reserved for serious military or civilian offenses (felonies). A general court-martial normally is ordered by an officer in the rank of general and involves a military judge and (at the option of the accused) a jury (called court members) of military personnel. It may impose up to the maximum permissible punishments authorized by law including, depending on the offenses involved, a fine, total forfeiture of pay, reduction to the lowest enlisted grade, a dishonorable (punitive) discharge, a period in jail up to life imprisonment or, for a few very serious offenses, death.

NOTE: Your victim/witness liaison officer can advise you regarding the maximum punishment for the offenses under investigation.

4. PRETRIAL AGREEMENT
If a case is sent to a special or general court-martial, a pretrial agreement (plea bargain) may be reached between the commander who authorized the court-martial and the accused. These agreements may be entered into for a number of reasons, including sparing a victim the trauma of testifying in court, eliminating the delay and cost of a lengthy trial, and reducing the risk of having a case reversed by an appellate court. Pretrial agreements usually provide that the accused plead guilty in exchange for a limit on the sentence or dismissal of certain charges.

WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT FROM THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

As a victim of an offense that is handled by the U.S. military justice system, you are entitled to courteous and compassionate consideration by military law enforcement and legal personnel and by other military personnel responsible for providing victim assistance services to you. Furthermore, you may expect the efforts of those charged with administrating the system to dispose of charges in a fair and timely manner. You may be entitled to some of the following services:

a. Medical and Social Services. You may be eligible for medical and social services provided under German law. Your participation in the U.S. military justice system does not make you ineligible for medical or social benefits granted by German institutions. You should contact your health insurance agency or the nearest Sozialamt (social assistance office) for help in obtaining medical and social services.

b. Notice of Critical Events. If you wish to be notified of critical events, provide your victim/witness liaison officer your address and telephone number. He or she will notify you, in advance when circumstances allow, of the following events:


(1) Apprehension (arrest) of the accused.

(2) Pretrial release of the accused.

(3) Trial date or a guilty plea and sentencing proceedings.

NOTE: Questions pertaining to this notification should be directed to your victim/witness liaison officer.

c. Protection. If you believe that you are being subjected to bribery, threats, intimidation, or harassment as a victim (or potential witness), call the local German police. Steps will be taken by appropriate authorities to investigate the matter and provide you with necessary protection.

d. Consultations With Prosecuting Officials. While the running of the military justice system, including handling the case in which you may be involved, is a decision left by U.S. Federal statute to certain military commanders, the U.S. Army recognizes the importance your views on certain issues may have in helping commanders make their decisions. For this reason, you may be requested to consult with commanders or their lawyers and prosecuting attorneys concerning any of the following matters:

(1) Entry (preferral) of charges against the accused.

2

(2) Dismissal of charges against the accused.

(3) Pretrial restraint (including confinement) of the accused.

(4) Plea negotiations (plea bargaining) between the accused and the Government.

NOTE: Questions concerning these matters should be directed to your victim/witness liaison officer.

e. Property Return and Restitution.


(1) Property Return. The U.S. Army will safeguard and return property as soon as possible to the lawful owner. However, if the property is required for evidence in a court-martial, it may be temporarily held. Your victim/witness liaison officer will advise you of the agency holding your property and procedures for having it returned.

(2) Restitution (Recovery for Victim’s Loss). The military justice system was established primarily to help maintain good order and military discipline rather than securing restitution for victims. There are various means of restitution, however, that might be available to you:


(a) The accused may be personally liable for personal injury done to you or for damage done to your property. If the accused is on active duty, you may be able to recover the value of certain property losses directly from his or her military pay, provided the claim is made within 90 days after the loss or good cause is shown for a claim filed later.

(b) A request for an ex gratia award also may be made against the U.S. Government under certain circumstances through consultation with the Lohnstelle ausländische Streitkräfte (Foreign Forces Payroll Office).

(c) A demand or lawsuit against the accused or other financially responsible third parties for restitution for damages and injuries may be obtained under certain circumstances. To obtain legal advice in this regard, Soldiers, retirees, DOD civilian employees, and Family members may contact the local legal assistance office. (If you are not eligible for the Army legal assistance, you may see an attorney of your own selection, at no expense to the U.S. Government.)

(d) If you are a victim of a violent crime, you also may be eligible for compensation from the competent Versorgungsamt (pension office) under the Opferentschädigungsgesetz (German Law Concerning Compensation for Victims of Violent Crimes).

f. Notification of Employers or Creditors. If, as a result of the incident, you are forced to be absent from work or you are subjected to serious financial strain, you are entitled to have those circumstances that contributed to your absence or financial hardship explained to your employer or creditors respectively. For assistance in obtaining an explanation, contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

g. Case Status and Notification of Hearings. If you have any questions concerning the status of the case or desire to provide input, contact your victim/witness liaison officer. You may have the opportunity to attend hearings in the case. However, if you are also a witness, the presiding officer or judge has the authority to exclude you when other evidence is being presented. If you wish to attend and if you provide the victim/witness liaison officer your current telephone number or address, you will be notified in advance of such hearings. Always call to confirm hearing dates immediately before attending to ensure that they have not been rescheduled.

3

INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL WITNESSES

1. CONDUCT OF THE TRIAL
Trials are conducted before a U.S. Army court-martial.

a. The court will consist of either one judge or a judge with a panel of three or more Army Soldiers who decide the guilt or innocence of the accused based on testimony you and other witnesses relate to them. (See “How the System Works.”)

b. Your testimony as a witness before a U.S. military court will be taken according to U.S. law and procedures. Consideration will be given to you for the privileges and immunities you would have in a German court.

c. In U.S. courts, witnesses are not permitted to watch or hear the proceedings until called to testify.


(1) You will be asked to wait in another room until it is your turn to appear before the court-martial. You will be notified when you are needed.

(2) When called at the proceeding to testify, witnesses are administered an oath before giving testimony. The fact that you are asked to affirm the truth of your testimony or swear in the name of God that the testimony is the truth is not a reflection on your truthfulness.

2. TRANSLATION OF PROCEEDINGS
The proceedings are in English. Your testimony, however, normally will be given in German through an interpreter.

a. Although you may understand English, please do not answer until the interpreter has translated the question into German for you.

b. Your answer should be in German and will be translated into English by the interpreter. By speaking slowly and clearly and phrasing your answers in short sentences, you will help to ensure an accurate translation.

c. You will notice there is only one interpreter. This person is a sworn official of the court. At both the Article 32 investigation and at the trial, the interpreter translates questions for both the prosecution and the defense.

3. QUESTIONING
You will be questioned by counsel for the prosecution and for the defense in turn.

a. Because the members of the court do not have access to the statements you made at the Article 32 investigation, it may be necessary for you to repeat all you know about the incident at the trial.

b. The counsel, through questioning, will help ensure no essential testimony is overlooked.

c. During the testimony, you also may be asked questions by—


(1) An investigating officer of an Article 32 investigation. (See “How the System Works.”)

(2) A military judge.

(3) Members of the court who may ask questions through the military judge.

d. The testimony that you give, including your responses to questions asked, is essential to the successful functioning of the military justice system.

4

WHAT THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM ASKS OF YOU

1. The military justice system is designed to—

a. Promote good order and discipline in the Armed Forces.

b. Provide a system for the just disposition of criminal offenders.

c. Provide a fair trial for the accused.

d. Prevent the commission of further crime.

e. Appropriately punish and rehabilitate those persons whose guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

2. To accomplish the goals of the military justice system, your cooperation with law enforcement and other military authorities is extremely important.

3. Victims often want to withdraw from the criminal justice process, perhaps because of fear, frustration, or simply the desire to get as far away from the incident as possible. Should you have any of these or similar feelings, it is certainly understandable. We ask, however, that while you may not be able to set them aside completely, you nevertheless do not let them prevent your essential cooperation.

4. The U.S. Army’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program, with its services for victims described in this letter (see “What You May Expect From the U.S. Military Justice System”), has been established to reduce the hardships of your experience and to make your cooperation easier. Take advantage of the program; by doing so you will be helping the U.S. military justice system work and may, in the process, prevent others from becoming victims like yourself.

5

Figure C-2. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for German Victims

Letterhead

Date

Name
Mailing address

Sehr geehrte(r) _______,

dieses Schreiben ist Bestandteil des Hilfsprogramms der US-Army für Geschädigte und Zeugen. Sollten Sie Fragen haben, die in diesem Brief nicht beantwortet werden, wenden Sie sich bitte an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen. (In manchen Fällen kann auch ein für die Verbindungsstelle für Geschädigte und Zeugen tätiger, deutschsprachiger Dolmetscher als Kontaktperson angegeben sein.)

Als Anlage 1 ist eine Liste beigefügt, die die Telefonnummer des für Sie zuständigen Verbindungsoffiziers für Geschädigte und Zeugen enthält sowie die Personen und Dienststellen aufführt, an die Sie sich im Rahmen des Hilfsprogramms für Geschädigte wenden können. In Anlage 2 wird das US-Militärstrafrechtssystem beschrieben und erklärt, wie es funktioniert.

Als Geschädigter und potentieller Zeuge in einer Strafsache, mit der das Militärstrafrechtssystem der US-Army befasst ist, haben Sie ein Recht darauf zu wissen,

a. wie dieses Rechtssystem funktioniert;

b. was Sie von diesem System als Geschädigter erwarten dürfen;

c. was dieses System von Ihnen erwartet.

Anlagen

Figure C-3. Sample Information Letter for German Victims (German)

DAS AMERIKANISCHE MILITÄRSTRAFRECHTSSYSTEM

FUNKTIONSWEISE

1. ALLGEMEINES
Wenn die Behörden der US-Army über eine vermeintliche Straftat informiert werden, wird eine Reihe von Maßnahmen eingeleitet.

a. Zunächst werden erste Ermittlungen von Angehörigen der Streitkräfte oder deutschen Beamten durchgeführt.

b. Anschließend wird geprüft, ob die Zuständigkeit der US-Army (Gerichtsbarkeit) gegeben ist, in dem betreffenden Fall Ermittlungen anzustellen und ihn strafrechtlich zu verfolgen, oder ob die strafrechtliche Verfolgung in die Zuständigkeit deutscher Zivilbehörden fällt. Diese Entscheidung hängt von einer Anzahl von Faktoren ab, die im NATO-Truppenstatut (NTS) und dem Zusatzabkommen zum NTS aufgeführt werden.

2. WAS GESCHIEHT, WENN DIE US-ARMY NICHT ZUSTÄNDIG IST
Wenn die Army nicht zuständig ist, werden

a. die zuständigen deutschen Behörden verständigt. Diese Behörden entscheiden darüber, ob eine strafrechtliche Verfolgung vor einem deutschen Gericht angezeigt ist;

b. Sie von den Militärbehörden wahrscheinlich keine weitere Nachricht erhalten. Auf Ihr Ersuchen nennt Ihnen der Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen die deutschen Zivilbehörden, die den Fall möglicherweise bearbeiten.

3. WAS GESCHIEHT, WENN DIE US-ARMY ZUSTÄNDIG IST
Wenn der Fall in die Zuständigkeit der US-Army fällt, entscheiden die Disziplinarvorgesetzten des Beschuldigten, ob eine strafrechtliche Verfolgung angezeigt ist. Die möglichen Bestrafungen im Falle einer Verurteilung können von sehr geringfügigen Sanktionen, wie beispielsweise einem Verweis, bis zu härteren Strafen reichen, wie z.B. lebenslängliche Freiheitsstrafe. In bestimmten Fällen, z.B. bei vorsätzlichem Mord, kann auch die Todesstrafe verhängt werden. Bei Straftaten sind folgende Vorgehensweisen möglich:

a. Der direkte Disziplinarvorgesetzte des Beschuldigten kann die Klage abweisen. Wenn festgestellt wurde, dass es sich um eine geringe Straftat handelt, kann der direkte Vorgesetzte ein Verfahren für eine außergerichtliche Bestrafung (Artikel 15 Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) (Einheitliches Militärstrafgesetzbuch) einleiten. In diesem Verfahren entscheidet der Disziplinarvorgesetzte über Schuld oder Nichtschuld und ist befugt, die Einbehaltung eines geringen Teils des Solds anzuordnen, den Sold zu kürzen und gewisse Beschränkungen aufzuerlegen; er kann den Beschuldigten jedoch nicht zu einer Gefängnisstrafe verurteilen.

b. Ein Vorgesetzter, der kraft Gesetzes befugt ist, die Verwaltungsausschüsse oder Militärgerichte (Gerichtsverfahren) einzuberufen, kann bei Bedarf über schwerere Straftaten entscheiden.

c. In Fällen, in denen es um schwere Straftaten geht, wird normalerweise eine offizielle Voruntersuchung (auch als “Untersuchung gemäß Artikel 32” bezeichnet) durchgeführt, um die Qualität und den Umfang des Beweismaterials zu prüfen und zu empfehlen, auf welcher Militärgerichtsstufe der Fall verhandelt werden sollte. Militärgerichte gibt es auf folgenden Ebenen:


(1) Kleines Militärgericht: Auf der untersten Ebene gibt es das Kleine Militärgericht. Beim Kleinen Militärgericht führt ein Offizier als Richter den Vorsitz und kann den Angeklagten verurteilen. Die Höchststrafe, die hier normalerweise verhängt werden kann, ist die Einziehung von zwei Dritteln des Solds für einen Monat, Degradierung und bis zu 30 Tage Gefängnis.

Anlage 2

(2) Spezielles Militärgericht: Ein Spezielles Militärgericht ist das Mittlere Militärgericht, das sich aus einem juristisch ausgebildeten Militärrichter und, wenn der Angeklagte dies wünscht, aus einem Geschworenengremium (als Mitglieder des Gerichts bezeichnet), bestehend aus Angehörigen der Streitkräfte, zusammensetzt. Es verfügt außerdem über einen Anklagevertreter und gibt dem Angeklagten das Recht auf einen Verteidiger. Wenn es der Angeklagte wünscht, kann er auch vom Militärrichter allein gehört werden. Dieses Gericht kann als Höchststrafe Geldstrafen oder die Einziehung von zwei Dritteln des Solds für 6 Monate verhängen, die Degradierung auf den niedrigsten Mannschaftsdienstgrad, Gefängnisstrafen bis zu 6 Monaten und, in bestimmten Fällen, die Entlassung aus der US-Army wegen schlechter Führung veranlassen.

(3) Großes Militärgericht: Ein Großes Militärgericht ist das höchste Militärgericht und in der Regel schweren militärischen oder zivilen Straftaten (Verbrechen) vorbehalten. Ein Großes Militärgericht wird normalerweise von einem General einberufen und setzt sich aus einem Militärrichter und (nach Wahl des Angeklagten) einem Geschworenengremium (als Mitglieder des Gerichts bezeichnet), das aus Militärangehörigen besteht, zusammen. Es kann auf die höchsten vom Gesetz zugelassenen Strafen erkennen; dazu gehören - abhängig von der Straftat - Geldstrafen, die Einziehung des gesamten Solds, Degradierung auf den untersten Mannschaftsdienstgrad, unehrenhafte Entlassung, Freiheitsstrafen bis zu lebenslänglicher Haft oder, bei wenigen sehr schweren Verbrechen, auch die Todesstrafe.

ANMERKUNG: Der zuständige Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen kann Ihnen über die Höchststrafe für die zur Ermittlung anstehenden Straftaten Auskunft geben.

4. AUßERGERICHTLICHE ABSPRACHE
Wird ein Fall an das Spezielle oder Große Militärgericht verwiesen, kann zwischen dem Kommandeur, der das Militärgericht einberuft, und dem Angeklagten eine außergerichtliche Absprache (Abkommen zwischen Anklagevertretung und Verteidigung) getroffen werden. Diese Absprachen können aus mehreren Gründen getroffen werden, z.B. um dem Geschädigten das Trauma zu ersparen, vor Gericht aussagen zu müssen, um Verzögerungen und Kosten einer langwierigen Verhandlung zu vermeiden, und um nach Möglichkeit das Risiko auszuschalten, dass das Urteil von einem Berufungsgericht aufgehoben wird. Außergerichtliche Absprachen sehen in der Regel vor, dass sich der Angeklagte für schuldig erklärt, wenn das Strafmaß beschränkt wird oder bestimmte Anklagepunkte fallen gelassen werden.

WAS SIE VOM US-MILITÄRSTRAFRECHTSSYSTEM ERWARTEN DÜRFEN

Als Geschädigter bei einer Straftat, die unter das US-Militärstrafrechtssystem fällt, haben Sie Anspruch auf eine höfliche und verständnisvolle Behandlung seitens des an diesem Verfahren dienstlich beteiligten militärischen und zivilen Personals, dessen Aufgabe es ist, Ihnen als Geschädigtem Beistand zu leisten. Außerdem können Sie erwarten, dass das zuständige Verwaltungspersonal die Anklage fair und zügig bearbeitet. Sie haben möglicherweise Anspruch auf einige der folgenden Leistungen:

a. Medizinische und soziale Leistungen: Falls Sie die Voraussetzungen erfüllen, können Sie medizinische und soziale Leistungen nach deutschem Recht in Anspruch nehmen. Durch Ihre Beteiligung an einer amerikanischen Militärgerichtsverhandlung geht Ihr Anspruch auf medizinische oder soziale Leistungen, die von deutschen Einrichtungen gewährt werden, nicht verloren. Setzen Sie sich mit dem Träger Ihrer Krankenversicherung oder mit dem nächstgelegenen Sozialamt hinsichtlich der Inanspruchnahme von medizinischen und sozialen Leistungen in Verbindung.

b. Unterrichtung über wichtige Ereignisse: Wenn Sie über wichtige Ereignisse unterrichtet werden möchten, geben Sie dem zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen Ihre Anschrift und Telefonnummer. Er wird Sie, wenn möglich im Voraus, über die folgenden Ereignisse unterrichten:


(1) Festnahme (Verhaftung) des Beschuldigten

(2) Entlassung des Beschuldigten aus der Untersuchungshaft

(3) Verhandlungstermin oder Ablegung eines Geständnisses und Einleitung des Verurteilungsverfahrens

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ANMERKUNG: Fragen im Zusammenhang mit dieser Benachrichtigung sind an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen zu richten.

c. Schutzmaßnahmen: Wenn Sie glauben, dass Sie als Geschädigter (oder potentieller Zeuge) Bestechungen, Drohungen, Einschüchterungen oder Belästigungen ausgesetzt sind, wenden Sie sich bitte an die örtliche deutsche Polizeidienststelle. Die zuständigen Behörden werden Maßnahmen zur Überprüfung der Angelegenheit ergreifen und Ihnen den notwendigen Schutz gewähren.

d. Beratungen mit Strafverfolgungsbeamten: Obwohl die Entscheidungen nach dem Militärstrafrecht, einschließlich der Bearbeitung des Sie betreffenden Falles, gemäß US-Bundesgesetz bestimmten militärischen Kommandeuren überlassen sind, ist sich die US-Army dennoch der Bedeutung bewusst, die Ihre Meinung zu bestimmten Punkten für die Kommandeure bei ihren Entscheidungen haben kann. Aus diesem Grunde können Sie ersucht werden, sich mit den Kommandeuren oder deren Anwälten und Anklagevertretern in Bezug auf einen der folgenden Vorgänge zu beraten:


(1) Anklageerhebung gegen den Beschuldigten

(2) Abweisung der Klage gegen den Beschuldigten

(3) Freiheitsentzug vor der Verhandlung (einschließlich Inhaftierung) des Beschuldigten

(4) Außergerichtliche Absprachen zwischen dem Beschuldigten und der Regierung

ANMERKUNG: Sollten Sie hierzu noch Fragen haben, wenden Sie sich bitte an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen.

e. Rückgabe von Eigentum und Rückerstattung


(1) Rückgabe von Eigentum: Die US-Army stellt das Eigentum sicher und gibt es so schnell wie möglich an den rechtmäßigen Eigentümer zurück. Wenn das Eigentum jedoch für die Beweisführung in einem Militärgerichtsverfahren benötigt wird, kann es vorübergehend einbehalten werden. Der für Sie zuständige Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen nennt Ihnen die Stelle, die Ihr Eigentum verwahrt, sowie das für die Rückgabe anzuwendende Verfahren.

(2) Rückerstattung (Entschädigung des Opfers für Verluste): Das Militärstrafrechtssystem wurde in erster Linie zur Unterstützung bei der Aufrechterhaltung von Ordnung und militärischer Disziplin geschaffen und nicht, um Ersatzleistungen für Geschädigte sicherzustellen. Dennoch haben Sie verschiedene Möglichkeiten, um Ihre Entschädigungsansprüche geltend zu machen:


(a) Der Angeklagte kann persönlich für die Ihnen zugefügten Verletzungen oder Beschädigungen Ihres Eigentums haftbar sein. Wenn der Angeklagte im Militärdienst steht, können Sie möglicherweise Schadenersatz für bestimmte Sachschäden direkt aus seinem oder ihrem Sold erhalten, vorausgesetzt, dass die Forderung innerhalb von 90 Tagen nach Eintritt des Schadens erhoben wird oder es einen triftigen Grund für die spätere Geltendmachung der Forderung gibt.

(b) Unter bestimmten Umständen kann auch in Absprache mit der Lohnstelle ausländische Streitkräfte ein Antrag an die US-Regierung auf Zahlung einer freiwilligen (ex gratia) Entschädigung gestellt werden.

(c) Je nach Lage der Dinge kann Wiedergutmachung für Sach- und Personenschäden auch durch eine Forderung oder eine Klage gegen den Beschuldigten oder andere finanziell verantwortliche Dritte erlangt werden; Sie können sich hierbei von einem deutschen Rechtsanwalt Ihrer Wahl beraten lassen (die US-Regierung kann die Rechtsanwaltsgebühren jedoch nicht erstatten).

(d) Sind Sie Opfer einer Gewalttat geworden, haben Sie unter Umständen auch Anspruch auf Entschädigung vom zuständigen Versorgungsamt nach dem deutschen Opferentschädigungsgesetz.

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f. Benachrichtigung von Arbeitgebern oder Gläubigern: Sind Sie als Folge des Vorfalls gezwungen, Ihrem Arbeitsplatz fernzubleiben, oder in einen schwerwiegenden finanziellen Engpass geraten, sind Sie berechtigt, diese Umstände, die zu Ihrem Fernbleiben vom Arbeitsplatz oder finanziellen Notlage beigetragen haben, Ihrem Arbeitgeber bzw. Ihren Gläubigern mitteilen zu lassen. Wenden Sie sich an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen, der Ihnen bei der Abgabe der Erklärung behilflich ist.

g. Stand des Verfahrens und Benachrichtigung über Verhandlungstermine: Sollten Sie irgendwelche Fragen zum Stand des Verfahrens haben oder diesbezügliche Informationen mitteilen wollen, wenden Sie sich bitte an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen. Sie haben möglicherweise Gelegenheit, bei Verhandlungen in der Sache anwesend zu sein. Sind Sie jedoch gleichzeitig Zeuge, dann ist der den Vorsitz führende Offizier oder der Richter berechtigt, Sie von der Verhandlung auszuschließen, wenn andere Zeugenaussagen gemacht werden. Falls Sie anwesend sein möchten und Sie dem Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen Ihre derzeitige Telefonnummer und Adresse mitteilen, werden Sie im Voraus über solche Verhandlungen unterrichtet. Rufen Sie auf jeden Fall an, bevor Sie zu einer Verhandlung gehen, um sich zu vergewissern, dass die Termine nicht kurzfristig geändert wurden.

INFORMATIONEN FÜR POTENTIELLE ZEUGEN

1. ABLAUF DER VERHANDLUNG
Die Verhandlungen finden vor einem Militärgericht der US-Army statt.

a. Das Gericht setzt sich entweder aus einem Richter oder einem Richter mit einem Gremium von drei oder mehr Soldaten zusammen, die aufgrund der von Ihnen und anderen Zeugen gemachten Aussagen über Schuld oder Nichtschuld des Angeklagten zu befinden haben (siehe “Das amerikanische Militärstrafrechtssystem - Funktionsweise”).

b. Ihre Zeugenaussage vor einem US-Militärgericht erfolgt gemäß den gesetzlichen Bestimmungen und der Verfahrensordnung der Vereinigten Staaten. Die Rechte und Vorrechte, die Sie vor einem deutschen Gericht haben würden, werden berücksichtigt.

c. Vor amerikanischen Gerichten dürfen Zeugen der Verhandlung weder beiwohnen noch zuhören, bis sie selbst in den Zeugenstand gerufen werden.


(1) Dementsprechend wird man Sie bitten, in einem anderen Raum so lange zu warten, bis Sie in den Zeugenstand gerufen werden. Sie erhalten rechtzeitig Kenntnis von Ihrem Aufruf.

(2) Vor Beginn ihrer Aussage bei der Verhandlung werden die Zeugen vereidigt. Die Tatsache, dass Sie ersucht werden, eidesstattlich zu versichern, dass Ihre Aussage der Wahrheit entspricht, oder bei Gott zu schwören, dass Ihre Aussage die Wahrheit, die reine Wahrheit und nichts als die Wahrheit ist, bedeutet nicht, dass Ihre Glaubwürdigkeit in Zweifel gezogen wird.

2. ÜBERSETZUNG DER VERHANDLUNG
Die Verhandlung wird in englischer Sprache geführt. Normalerweise machen Sie Ihre Aussage jedoch auf Deutsch und bedienen sich eines Dolmetschers.

a. Auch wenn Sie Englisch verstehen, antworten Sie bitte erst dann, wenn der Dolmetscher die Frage an Sie ins Deutsche übersetzt hat.

b. Ihre Antwort sollte in deutscher Sprache erfolgen, um dann vom Dolmetscher ins Englische übertragen zu werden. Wenn Sie langsam und deutlich sprechen und Ihre Antworten in kurzen Sätzen formulieren, tragen Sie dazu bei, eine präzise Übersetzung zu gewährleisten.

c. Sie werden feststellen, dass nur ein Dolmetscher anwesend ist. Er ist eine vereidigte Gerichtsperson. Sowohl in der Untersuchung nach Artikel 32 als auch in der Hauptverhandlung übersetzt der Dolmetscher Fragen der Anklagevertretung wie auch der Verteidigung.

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3. VERNEHMUNG
Sie werden nacheinander vom Anklagevertreter und vom Verteidiger befragt.

a. Da die Geschworenen keinen Zugang zu den Aussagen haben, die Sie bei der Untersuchung nach Artikel 32 gemacht haben, ist es möglicherweise notwendig, alles, was Sie über den Vorfall wissen, in der Hauptverhandlung zu wiederholen.

b. Anklagevertreter und Verteidiger sorgen durch geeignete Fragestellung dafür, dass kein wichtiger Punkt Ihrer Aussage unberücksichtigt bleibt.

c. Im Verlauf der Zeugenaussage können Ihnen auch Fragen von den folgenden Personen gestellt werden:


(1) einem Offizier, der die Untersuchung nach Artikel 32 durchgeführt hat (siehe “Das amerikanische Militärstrafrechtssystem - Funktionsweise”);

(2) einem Militärrichter;

(3) den Geschworenen, die durch den Militärrichter Fragen stellen lassen können.

d. Ihre Aussage, die auch Ihre Antworten auf Ihnen gestellte Fragen umfasst, trägt wesentlich dazu bei, dass das Militärstrafrechtssystem erfolgreich angewendet werden kann.

WAS DAS US-MILITÄRSTRAFRECHTSSYSTEM VON IHNEN ERWARTET

1. Das Militärstrafrechtssystem dient dazu,

a. Ordnung und Disziplin innerhalb der Streitkräfte zu fördern;

b. ein System für die gerechte Behandlung von Straftätern zu schaffen;

c. einem Angeklagten eine faire Verhandlung zu gewährleisten;

d. weitere Straftaten zu verhindern;

e. jene Personen, deren Schuld einwandfrei erwiesen ist, angemessen zu bestrafen und wiedereinzugliedern.

2. Zur Realisierung der Ziele des Militärstrafrechtssystems ist Ihre Zusammenarbeit mit den Vollstreckungs- und anderen Militärbehörden äußerst wichtig.

3. Geschädigte neigen oft dazu, sich dem Strafverfahrensprozess zu entziehen, vielleicht aus Angst oder Gehemmtheit oder einfach, um so viel Abstand wie möglich von dem Vorfall zu gewinnen. Sollten Sie solche oder ähnliche Gefühle hegen, ist das sicher verständlich. Auch wenn Sie sich diesen Empfindungen nicht völlig entziehen können, möchten wir Sie dennoch bitten, sich dadurch an Ihrer wichtigen Mitarbeit nicht hindern zu lassen.

4. Das Hilfsprogramm der US-Army für Geschädigte und Zeugen mit seinen in dieser Anlage beschriebenen Leistungen für Geschädigte (siehe “Was Sie vom US-Militärstrafrechtssystem erwarten können”) wurde erstellt, um Härten zu mildern, die Sie möglicherweise in der Vergangenheit erfahren haben, und Ihre Mitarbeit zu erleichtern. Nutzen Sie dieses Programm, denn damit tragen Sie dazu bei, dass das US-Militärstrafrechtssystem funktioniert, und verhindern dabei möglicherweise, dass andere, wie Sie selbst auch, zu Geschädigten werden.

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Figure C-4. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for German Victims (German)

APPENDIX D
SAMPLE INFORMATION LETTER FOR U.S. WITNESSES

Figure D-1 is a sample letter to be sent to a U.S. witness. Figure D-2 is a sample of enclosure 2 to the letter that explains the U.S. military justice system. This regulation, paragraph 14c, explains the information that must be included in enclosure 1.

Letterhead

Date

Name
Mailing address

Dear ________:

    This letter is being sent to you as part of the U.S. Army’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program. If you have questions that this letter does not answer, you should contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

    Enclosure 1 is a list that includes your victim/witness liaison officer’s telephone number and individuals and agencies that may help you. Enclosure 2 is an explanation of the U.S. military justice system and how it works.

    As a potential witness in a criminal matter that may be resolved in the U.S. Army military justice system, you are entitled to understand—

a. How the justice system works.

b. What you may expect from this system as a witness.

c. What this system asks of you.

Enclosures

Figure D-1. Sample U.S. Witness Information Letter

THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

GENERAL
By the time you receive this, some things will normally have already been decided about the case in which you are a potential witness:

a. Army officials will have decided that the military has authority to investigate and prosecute the accused (defendant) and that you have important information about the case.

b. The Army also may have decided how the accused will be tried. The case may be—


(1) Tried at a lower- or intermediate-level military criminal trial (known as a summary or special court-martial).

(2) Sent to a preliminary hearing (known as an Article 32 investigation) to evaluate whether or not the accused should be tried before the highest military criminal court, the general court-martial.

c. For all these proceedings, the way you testify is virtually the same. You may be—


(1) Requested (or ordered if you are a Soldier) to appear at an Article 32 hearing.

(2) Subpoenaed (or ordered if you are a Soldier) to appear before a court-martial.

d. At the proceeding, you will be administered an oath.

e. During your testimony, you may be asked questions by—


(1) An investigating officer of an Article 32 investigation.

(2) A military judge.

(3) Court members (military jurors) at a court-martial.

(4) Government (trial) and defense counsel.

f. Your testimony, including responses to questions asked, is essential to the successful functioning of the military justice system.

WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT FROM THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

As a witness you normally are authorized the following services:

a. Notice of Critical Events. If you wish to be notified of critical events, provide your victim/witness liaison officer your address or telephone number. You will be notified, in advance when circumstances allow, of the following events:


(1) Apprehension (arrest) of the accused.

(2) Pretrial release of the accused.

Enclosure 2

(3) Trial or entry of a guilty plea and sentencing proceedings.

NOTE: You should direct any questions about this notification to your victim/witness liaison officer.

b. Expenses. When you appear as a witness in a court-martial, deposition, or Article 32 investigation, you may be entitled to certain allowances. For information about specific allowances, please contact your victim/witness liaison officer.


(1) As a general rule, you can be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary travel and transportation expenses (for example, meals and lodging) that occur because of required appearances.

(2) Civilian witnesses (including U.S. military retirees) who are not employed by the U.S. Government and are required to appear before courts-martial or at depositions are entitled to a fee for each day of mandatory attendance. This fee is not authorized for attendance at Article 32 investigations.

(3) Sometimes portions of these allowances can be advanced to you at your request before attendance.

c. Notification of Employers and Creditors. The U.S. Army normally will not reimburse you for lost income. At your request, the victim/witness liaison officer will contact your employer to explain the circumstances of the case and why you must appear. He or she will request that you lose no benefits because of your involvement as a witness in a Federal judicial proceeding. Also, if you request, the victim/witness liaison officer will explain to your creditors any serious, personal financial hardship resulting from your involvement as a witness.

d. Appearance Time and Notice of Changes. You will be given a time and place to report for the hearing. If your appearance will cause extreme hardship, contact your victim/witness liaison officer immediately. If a hearing is rescheduled or canceled, the victim/witness liaison officer or other military justice personnel will try to contact you in advance. However, you should always call your victim/witness liaison officer before leaving to report as a witness to ensure that there has been no last minute rescheduling. To help us notify you of changes in scheduling, please make sure your victim/witness liaison officer has your correct address and telephone number at all times.

e. Separate Waiting Area. When possible, defense and prosecution witnesses are provided separate waiting areas for their comfort and privacy. However, this convenience may not always be available. Contact your victim/witness liaison officer or trial counsel immediately if problems arise concerning waiting-room conditions. You should refrain from discussing the case in a waiting room or the surrounding area.

f. Local Services. If you need local transportation, parking, or childcare services, contact your victim/witness liaison officer for information and help. If you must stay overnight, certain installation services may be available; contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

g. Special Witness Consideration. If you are a Family member of a Soldier who is pending reassignment, your sponsor’s reassignment may need to be delayed. If such an unusual situation exists, please notify your victim/witness liaison officer immediately.

h. Protection. If you are being subjected to coercion, harassment, intimidation, or threats of any kind, notify your victim/witness liaison officer. If you are in immediate danger, call the local or military police at once. Appropriate authorities will investigate the matter and provide you any necessary protection.

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WHAT THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM ASKS OF YOU

1. The military justice system is designed to—

a. Promote good order and discipline in the Armed Forces.

b. Provide a system for the just disposition of criminal offenders.

c. Provide a fair trial for the accused.

d. Prevent the commission of further crime.

e. Appropriately punish and rehabilitate those persons whose guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

2. To accomplish the goals of the military justice system, your testimony is extremely important. The Army expects that unless you have a specific legal privilege, if you are called to testify that you will do so and that you will do so truthfully.

3. The U.S. military justice system has the authority to compel military witnesses (by order) and U.S. civilian witnesses (by subpoena) to attend and provide testimony at courts-martial. Most witnesses in military criminal proceedings, in spite of inconveniences, fulfill their responsibility by testifying voluntarily.

4. The U.S. Army’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program has been established to reduce the hardships of your experience and to make your cooperation easier. Take advantage of the program; by doing so you will help the U.S. military justice system work.

5. If you have questions about your legal rights or obligations as a witness, contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

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Figure D-2. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for U.S. Witnesses

APPENDIX E
SAMPLE INFORMATION LETTER FOR GERMAN WITNESSES (INFORMATIONEN FÜR DEUTSCHE ZEUGEN) (ENGLISH AND GERMAN VERSIONS)

Figure E-1 is a sample letter in English to be sent to a German witness. Figure E-2 is a sample of enclosure 2 in English. Figures E-3 and E-4 are the German translations of figures E-1 and E-2 respectively. This regulation, paragraph 14c, explains the information that must be included in enclosure 1.

Letterhead

Date

Name
Mailing address

Dear ________:

    This letter is being sent to you as part of the U.S. Army’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program. If you have questions that this letter does not answer, you should contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

    Enclosure 1 is a list that includes your victim/witness liaison officer’s telephone number and individuals and agencies that may help you. Enclosure 2 is an explanation of the U.S. military justice system and how it works.

    As a potential witness in a criminal matter that may be resolved in the U.S. Army military justice system, you are entitled to understand—

a. How the justice system works.

b. What you may expect from this system as a witness.

c. What this system asks of you.

Enclosures

Figure E-1. Sample Information Letter for German Witnesses

THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

GENERAL
By the time you receive this, some things will normally have already been decided about the case in which you are a potential witness.

a. Army officials will have decided that the military has authority to investigate and prosecute the accused (defendant) and that you have important information about the case.

b. The Army also may have decided how the accused will be tried. The case may be—


(1) Tried at a lower- or intermediate-level military criminal trial (known as a summary or special court-martial).

(2) Sent to a preliminary hearing (known as an Article 32 investigation) to evaluate whether or not the accused should be tried before the highest military criminal court, the general court-martial.

c. For all these proceedings, the way you testify is virtually the same. You may be—


(1) Requested to appear at an Article 32 hearing.

(2) Subpoenaed to appear before a court-martial.

d. At the proceeding, you will be administered an oath.

e. During your testimony, you may be asked questions by—


(1) An investigating officer of an Article 32 investigation.

(2) A military judge.

(3) Court members (military jurors) at a court-martial.

(4) Government (trial) and defense counsel.

f. Your testimony, including responses to questions asked, is essential to the successful functioning of the military justice system.

WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT FROM THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

As a witness you normally are authorized the following services:

a. Notice of Critical Events. If you wish to be notified of critical events, provide your victim/witness liaison officer your address or telephone number. You will be notified, in advance when circumstances allow, of the following events:


(1) Apprehension (arrest) of the accused.

(2) Pretrial release of the accused.

(3) Trial or entry of a guilty plea and sentencing proceedings.

NOTE: You should direct any questions about this notification to your victim/witness liaison officer.

Enclosure 2

b. Expenses. When you appear as a witness in a court-martial, deposition, or Article 32 investigation, you may be entitled to certain allowances. For information about specific allowances, please contact your victim/witness liaison officer.


(1) As a general rule, you can be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary travel and transportation expenses (for example, meals and lodging) that occur because of required appearances.

(2) Civilian witnesses (including U.S. military retirees) who are not employed by the U.S. Government and are required to appear before courts-martial or at depositions are entitled to a fee for each day of mandatory attendance. This fee is not authorized for attendance at Article 32 investigations.

(3) Sometimes portions of these allowances can be advanced to you at your request before attendance.

c. Notification of Employers and Creditors. The U.S. Army normally will not reimburse you for lost income. At your request, the victim/witness liaison officer will contact your employer to explain the circumstances of the case and why you must appear. He or she will request that you lose no benefits because of your involvement as a witness in a Federal judicial proceeding. Also, if you request, the victim/witness liaison officer will explain to your creditors any serious, personal financial hardship resulting from your involvement as a witness.

d. Appearance Time and Notice of Changes. You will be given a time and place to report for the hearing. If your appearance will cause extreme hardship, contact your victim/witness liaison officer immediately. If a hearing is rescheduled or canceled, the victim/witness liaison officer or other military justice personnel will try to contact you in advance. However, you should always call your victim/witness liaison officer before leaving to report as a witness to ensure that there has been no last minute rescheduling. To help us notify you of changes in scheduling, please make sure your victim/witness liaison officer has your correct address and telephone number at all times.

e. Separate Waiting Area. When possible, defense and prosecution witnesses are provided separate waiting areas for their comfort and privacy. However, this convenience may not always be available. Contact your victim/witness liaison officer or trial counsel immediately if problems arise concerning waiting-room conditions. You should refrain from discussing the case in a waiting room or the surrounding area.

f. Local Services. If you need local transportation, parking, or childcare services, contact your victim/witness liaison officer for information and help. If you must stay overnight, certain installation services may be available; contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

g. Special Witness Consideration. If you are a Family member of a Soldier who is pending reassignment, your sponsor’s reassignment may need to be delayed. If such an unusual situation exists, please notify your victim/witness liaison officer immediately.

h. Protection. If you are being subjected to coercion, harassment, intimidation, or threats of any kind, notify your victim/witness liaison officer. If you are in immediate danger, call the local or military police at once. Appropriate authorities will investigate the matter and provide you any necessary protection.

INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL WITNESSES

1. CONDUCT OF THE TRIAL
Trials are conducted before a U.S. Army court-martial.

a. The court will consist of either one judge or a judge with a panel of three or more Army Soldiers who decide the guilt or innocence of the accused based on testimony you and other witnesses relate to them. (See “How the System Works.”)

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b. Your testimony as a witness before a U.S. military court will be taken according to U.S. law and procedures. Consideration will be given to you for the privileges and immunities you would have in a German court.

c. In U.S. courts, witnesses are not permitted to watch or hear the proceedings until called to testify.


(1) You will be asked to wait in another room until it is your turn to appear before the court-martial. You will be notified when you are needed.

(2) When called at the proceeding to testify, witnesses are administered an oath before giving testimony. The fact that you are asked to affirm the truth of your testimony or swear in the name of God that the testimony is the truth is not a reflection on your truthfulness.

2. TRANSLATION OF PROCEEDINGS
The proceedings are in English. Your testimony, however, normally will be given in German through an interpreter.

a. Although you may understand English, please do not answer until the interpreter has translated the question into German for you.

b. Your answer should be in German and will be translated into English by the interpreter. By speaking slowly and clearly and phrasing your answers in short sentences, you will help to ensure an accurate translation.

c. You will notice there is only one interpreter. This person is a sworn official of the court. At both the Article 32 investigation and at the trial, the interpreter translates questions for both the prosecution and the defense.

3. QUESTIONING
You will be questioned by counsel for the prosecution and for the defense in turn.

a. Because the members of the court do not have access to the statements you made at the Article 32 investigation, it may be necessary for you to repeat all you know about the incident at the trial.

b. The counsel, through questioning, will help ensure no essential testimony is overlooked.

c. During the testimony, you also may be asked questions by—


(1) An investigating officer of an Article 32 investigation. (See “How the System Operates.”)

(2) A military judge.

(3) Members of the court who may ask questions through the military judge.

d. The testimony that you give, including your responses to questions asked, is essential to the successful functioning of the military justice system.

WHAT THE U.S. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM ASKS OF YOU

1. The military justice system is designed to—

a. Promote good order and discipline in the Armed Forces.

b. Provide a system for the just disposition of criminal offenders.

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c. Provide a fair trial for the accused.

d. Prevent the commission of further crime.

e. Appropriately punish and rehabilitate those persons whose guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

2. To accomplish the goals of the military justice system, your testimony is extremely important. The Army expects that unless you have a specific legal privilege, if you are called to testify that you will do so and that you will do so truthfully.

3. The U.S. military justice system has the authority to compel military witnesses (by order) and U.S. civilian witnesses (by subpoena) to attend and provide testimony at courts-martial. Most witnesses in military criminal proceedings, in spite of inconveniences, fulfill their responsibility by testifying voluntarily.

4. The U.S. Army’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program has been established to reduce the hardships of your experience and to make your cooperation easier. Take advantage of the program; by doing so, you will be helping the U.S. military justice system work.

5. If you have questions about your legal rights or obligations as a witness, contact your victim/witness liaison officer.

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Figure E-2. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for German Witnesses

Letterhead

Date

Name
Mailing address

Sehr geehrte(r) ________,

dieses Schreiben ist Bestandteil des Hilfsprogramms der US-Army für Geschädigte und Zeugen. Sollten Sie Fragen haben, die in diesem Brief nicht beantwortet werden, wenden Sie sich bitte an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen.

Als Anlage 1 ist eine Liste beigefügt, die die Telefonnummer des für Sie zuständigen Verbindungsoffiziers für Geschädigte und Zeugen enthält sowie die Namen der Personen und Dienststellen, die Ihnen helfen können. In Anlage 2 wird das US-Militärstrafrechtssystem beschrieben und seine Funktionsweise erklärt.

Als potentieller Zeuge in einer Strafsache, mit der das Militärstrafrechtssystem der US-Army befasst ist, sollten Sie wissen:

a. wie dieses Rechtssystem funktioniert;

b. was Sie von diesem System als Zeuge erwarten dürfen;

c. was dieses System von Ihnen erwartet.

Anlagen

Figure E-3. Sample Information Letter for German Witnesses (German)

DAS AMERIKANISCHE MILITÄRSTRAFRECHTSSYSTEM

FUNKTIONSWEISE

ALLGEMEINES
Wenn Sie diesen Brief erhalten, sind normalerweise bereits einige Entscheidungen in dem Fall, in dem Sie als potentieller Zeuge auftreten, getroffen worden.

a. Die zuständigen Vertreter der US-Army haben bereits festgestellt, dass die Streitkräfte berechtigt sind, in dem betreffenden Fall Ermittlungen anzustellen und den Beschuldigten strafrechtlich zu verfolgen, und dass Sie über wichtige Informationen verfügen, die diesen Fall betreffen.

b. Die US-Army hat möglicherweise auch entschieden, vor welches Gericht der Beschuldigte gestellt werden soll. Der Fall kann


(1) vor einem Gericht auf der unteren oder der mittleren Ebene verhandelt werden (Kleines oder Spezielles Militärgericht).

(2) einer offiziellen Voruntersuchung unterzogen werden (auch als “Untersuchung nach Artikel 32” bezeichnet), um zu beurteilen, ob der Beschuldigte vor das höchste Militärgericht, das Große Militärgericht, gestellt werden soll.

c. Ihre Zeugenaussage wird von diesen verschiedenen Verfahren praktisch nicht berührt. Sie können


(1) aufgefordert werden, bei einer Untersuchung nach Artikel 32 zu erscheinen;

(2) vor ein Militärgericht vorgeladen werden.

d. Vor Ihrer Aussage werden Sie vereidigt.

e. Im Verlauf Ihrer Zeugenaussage können Ihnen Fragen von den folgenden Personen gestellt werden:


(1) einem Offizier, der die Untersuchung nach Artikel 32 durchführt

(2) einem Militärrichter

(3) den Geschworenen oder Mitgliedern des Militärgerichts

(4) dem Anklagevertreter und Verteidiger

f. Ihre Zeugenaussage, die auch die Antworten auf Ihnen gestellte Fragen umfasst, trägt wesentlich dazu bei, dass das Militärstrafrechtssystem erfolgreich angewendet werden kann.

WAS SIE VOM US-MILITÄRSTRAFRECHTSSYSTEM ERWARTEN DÜRFEN

Als Zeuge haben Sie normalerweise Anspruch auf folgende Leistungen:

a. Unterrichtung über wichtige Ereignisse: Wenn Sie über wichtige Ereignisse unterrichtet werden möchten, geben Sie dem zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen Ihre Anschrift oder Telefonnummer. Sie werden, wenn möglich im Voraus, über die folgenden Ereignisse unterrichtet:


(1) Festnahme (Verhaftung) des Beschuldigten

Anlage 2

(2) Entlassung des Beschuldigten aus der Untersuchungshaft

(3) Verhandlung oder Ablegung eines Schuldgeständnisses und Einleitung des Verurteilungsverfahrens

ANMERKUNG: Fragen im Zusammenhang mit dieser Benachrichtigung sind an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen zu richten.

b. Ausgaben: Wenn Sie als Zeuge vor einem Militärgericht, zu einem Beweisaufnahmeprotokoll oder einer Untersuchung nach Artikel 32 erscheinen, haben Sie eventuell Anspruch auf bestimmte Aufwandsentschädigungen. Informationen über solche Zahlungen erhalten Sie von dem für Sie zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen.


(1) Generell gilt, dass Ihnen angemessene und notwendige Reise- und Beförderungskosten erstattet werden (z.B. Unterkunft und Verpflegung), die durch das erforderliche Erscheinen vor Gericht entstehen.

(2) Als Zeugen auftretende Zivilisten (pensionierte US-Militärangehörige eingeschlossen), die keine Beschäftigten der US-Regierung sind und vor Militärgerichten oder zum Beweisaufnahmeprotokoll erscheinen müssen, haben Anspruch auf eine Vergütung für jeden Tag, an dem ihre Anwesenheit erforderlich ist. Diese Vergütung wird für die Anwesenheit bei Untersuchungen nach Artikel 32 nicht gewährt.

(3) In bestimmten Fällen kann ein Teil der Aufwandsentschädigung auf Antrag im Voraus gezahlt werden, bevor die Zeugenaussage gemacht wird.

c. Benachrichtigung von Arbeitgebern oder Gläubigern: Die US-Army entschädigt Sie normalerweise nicht für einen Verdienstausfall. Auf Ihren Wunsch wird sich der Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen an Ihren Arbeitgeber wenden, um ihm die Umstände des Falls und die Gründe für Ihr Erscheinen zu erklären. Er wird ihn ersuchen, dafür zu sorgen, dass Ihnen aus Ihrer Teilnahme an einem Gerichtsverfahren der US-Regierung als Zeuge keine finanziellen Nachteile entstehen. Bei einem entsprechenden Ersuchen an Ihren Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen wird er auch Ihren Gläubigern die finanzielle Härte erläutern, die eine Teilnahme als Zeuge für Sie bedeuten kann.

d. Termin des Erscheinens vor Gericht und Unterrichtung über Änderungen: Sie werden über die Zeit und den Ort der Gerichtsverhandlung informiert. Sollte Ihr Gerichtstermin mit außerordentlichen Problemen für Sie verbunden sein, wenden Sie sich bitte sofort an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen. Wenn ein Gerichtstermin verlegt oder gestrichen wird, werden der Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen oder Angestellte des Militärgerichts versuchen, Sie rechtzeitig vorher zu informieren. Sie sollten dennoch den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen immer anrufen, bevor Sie sich als Zeuge zum Ort der Verhandlung begeben, um sicherzustellen, dass nicht in letzter Minute der Termin geändert wurde. Um uns Ihre Unterrichtung über Terminänderungen zu erleichtern, sorgen Sie bitte dafür, dass der zuständige Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen immer Ihre richtige Adresse und Telefonnummer hat.

e. Getrennte Warteräume: Um Ihnen Unannehmlichkeiten zu ersparen, und aus Gründen der Privatsphäre wird möglichst versucht, getrennte Warteräume für die Zeugen der Verteidigung und der Anklage bereitzustellen. Allerdings ist dies nicht immer möglich. Wenden Sie sich bei Problemen im Zusammenhang mit den Warteraumbedingungen bitte sofort an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen oder den Anklagevertreter. Sie sollten im Warteraum oder in den benachbarten Räumlichkeiten nicht über den Fall sprechen.

f. Hilfestellung vor Ort: Wenn Sie am Ort der Gerichtsverhandlung Verkehrsmittel benötigen, Parkmöglichkeiten oder Personal für Kinderbetreuung suchen, wird Sie der zuständige Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen darüber informieren und Ihnen behilflich sein. Bei Übernachtungen können eventuell Standortunterkünfte bereitgestellt werden. Wenden Sie sich bitte an Ihren Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen.

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g. Berücksichtigung besonderer Umstände des Zeugen: Wenn Sie ein Familienangehöriger eines Soldaten sind, dessen Versetzung bevorsteht, kann diese möglicherweise verschoben werden müssen. Falls eine solch ungewöhnliche Situation besteht, verständigen Sie bitte sofort den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen.

h. Schutz. Falls Sie Nötigungen, Belästigungen, Einschüchterungen oder Drohungen irgendwelcher Art ausgesetzt sind, unterrichten Sie bitte Ihren Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen. Wenn Sie sich in unmittelbarer Gefahr befinden, rufen Sie sofort die örtliche Polizeidienststelle oder die Militärpolizei an. Die zuständigen Behörden werden die Angelegenheit untersuchen und die notwendigen Maßnahmen zu Ihrem Schutz treffen.

INFORMATIONEN FÜR POTENTIELLE ZEUGEN

1. ABLAUF DER VERHANDLUNG
Die Verhandlungen finden vor einem Militärgericht der US-Army statt.

a. Das Gericht setzt sich entweder aus einem Richter oder einem Richter und einem Gremium aus drei oder mehr Mitgliedern der US-Army zusammen, die aufgrund der von Ihnen und anderen Zeugen gemachten Aussagen über Schuld oder Nichtschuld des Angeklagten zu befinden haben (siehe “Das amerikanische Militärstrafrechtssystem - Funktionsweise”).

b. Ihre Zeugenaussage vor einem US-Militärgericht erfolgt gemäß den gesetzlichen Bestimmungen und der Verfahrensordnung der Vereinigten Staaten. Die Rechte und Vorrechte, die Sie vor einem deutschen Gericht haben würden, werden berücksichtigt.

c. Vor amerikanischen Gerichten dürfen Zeugen der Verhandlung weder beiwohnen noch zuhören, bis sie selbst in den Zeugenstand gerufen werden.


(1) Dementsprechend wird man Sie bitten, in einem anderen Raum so lange zu warten, bis Sie in den Zeugenstand gerufen werden. Sie erhalten rechtzeitig Kenntnis von Ihrem Aufruf.

(2) Vor Beginn ihrer Aussage bei der Verhandlung werden die Zeugen vereidigt. Die Tatsache, dass Sie ersucht werden, eidesstattlich zu versichern, dass Ihre Aussage der Wahrheit entspricht, oder bei Gott zu schwören, dass Ihre Aussage die Wahrheit, die reine Wahrheit und nichts als die Wahrheit ist, bedeutet nicht, dass Ihre Glaubwürdigkeit in Zweifel gezogen wird.

2. ÜBERSETZUNG DER VERHANDLUNG
Die Verhandlung wird in englischer Sprache geführt. Normalerweise machen Sie Ihre Aussage jedoch auf Deutsch und bedienen sich eines Dolmetschers.

a. Auch wenn Sie Englisch verstehen, antworten Sie bitte erst dann, wenn der Dolmetscher die Frage an Sie ins Deutsche übersetzt hat.

b. Ihre Antwort sollte in deutscher Sprache erfolgen, um dann vom Dolmetscher ins Englische übertragen zu werden. Wenn Sie langsam und deutlich sprechen und Ihre Antworten in kurzen Sätzen formulieren, tragen Sie dazu bei, eine präzise Übersetzung zu gewährleisten

c. Sie werden feststellen, dass nur ein Dolmetscher anwesend ist. Er ist eine vereidigte Gerichtsperson. Sowohl in der Artikel-32 Untersuchung als auch in der Hauptverhandlung übersetzt der Dolmetscher Fragen der Anklagevertretung wie auch der Verteidigung.

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3. VERNEHMUNG
Sie werden nacheinander vom Anklagevertreter und vom Verteidiger befragt.

a. Da die Geschworenen keinen Zugang zu den Aussagen haben, die Sie bei der Artikel-32 Untersuchung gemacht haben, ist es möglicherweise notwendig, alles, was Sie über den Vorfall wissen, in der Hauptverhandlung zu wiederholen.

b. Anklagevertreter und Verteidiger sorgen durch geeignete Fragestellung dafür, dass kein wichtiger Punkt Ihrer Aussage unberücksichtigt bleibt.

c. Im Verlauf der Zeugenaussage können Ihnen auch Fragen von den folgenden Personen gestellt werden:


(1) einem Offizier, der eine Untersuchung nach Artikel 32 durchgeführt hat (siehe “Das amerikanische Militärstrafrechtssystem - Funktionsweise”);

(2) einem Militärrichter;

(3) den Geschworenen, die durch den Militärrichter Fragen stellen lassen können.

d. Ihre Aussage, die auch Ihre Antworten auf Ihnen gestellte Fragen umfasst, trägt wesentlich dazu bei, dass das Militärstrafrechtssystem erfolgreich angewendet werden kann.

WAS DAS US-MILITÄRSTRAFRECHTSSYSTEM VON IHNEN ERWARTET

1. Das Militärstrafrechtssystem dient dazu,

a. Ordnung und Disziplin innerhalb der Streitkräfte zu fördern;

b. ein System für die gerechte Behandlung von Straftätern zu schaffen;

c. einem Angeklagten eine faire Verhandlung zu gewährleisten;

d. weitere Straftaten zu verhindern;

e. jene Personen, deren Schuld einwandfrei erwiesen ist, angemessen zu bestrafen und zu rehabilitieren.

2. Zur Realisierung der Ziele des Militärstrafrechtssystems ist Ihre Zeugenaussage äußerst wichtig. Sofern Sie nicht ein besonderes Aussageverweigerungsrecht haben, erwartet die US-Army von Ihnen, dass Sie sich als Zeuge zur Verfügung stellen und Ihre Aussage machen, und diese auch der Wahrheit entspricht.

3. Mit Hilfe des Militärstrafrechtssystems ist es möglich, Zeugen, die Militärangehörige sind (durch Befehl) und amerikanische Zivilisten (durch Ladung) zum Erscheinen und Aussagen vor einem Militärgericht zu zwingen. Die meisten Zeugen in Militärstrafverfahren sind jedoch trotz der damit verbundenen Unannehmlichkeiten bereit, freiwillig auszusagen.

4. Das Hilfsprogramm der US-Army für Geschädigte und Zeugen wurde erstellt, um Härten zu mildern, die Sie möglicherweise in der Vergangenheit erfahren haben, und Ihre Mitarbeit zu erleichtern; nutzen Sie dieses Programm, denn durch Ihre Mitarbeit tragen Sie dazu bei, dass das Militärstrafrechtssystem funktioniert.

5. Sollten Sie Fragen bezüglich Ihrer Rechte und Pflichten als Zeuge haben, wenden Sie sich bitte an den zuständigen Verbindungsoffizier für Geschädigte und Zeugen.

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Figure E-4. Sample Enclosure 2 to Information Letter for German Witnesses (German)

APPENDIX F
CIVILIAN WITNESSES FROM THE UNITED STATES

F-1. UNIFORM SYSTEM FOR PAYMENT OF CIVILIAN WITNESSES FROM THE UNITED STATES WHO TESTIFY IN COURTS-MARTIAL IN EUROPE
Although the responsibility for the proper treatment of witnesses rests with the victim/witness liaison officer or the trial counsel, several jurisdictions also have used their noncommissioned officer in charge or legal administrative technician as a POC for processing witnesses. The POC can be made a certifying officer and, under certain circumstances, a class-A agent officer. A class-A agent officer may draw funds from the finance and accounting office for paying witnesses. It may be appropriate for a POC to be a class-A agent officer if he or she is an officer, warrant officer, or noncommissioned officer in the grade of sergeant first class through sergeant major stationed in an isolated area.

F-2. PROCEDURES
When a civilian witness residing in the United States and not employed by the Government will be called to testify, the appropriate staff judge advocate (SJA) will—

a. Take appropriate action to provide for the attendance of witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense according to Rule for Courts-Martial 703.

b. Get a fund cite from the comptroller or other appropriate office.

c. Witness requests should be faxed as follows: Overseas Witness Liaison, Office of the Clerk of Court, United States Army Judiciary (fax civ (703) 696-8777 or DSN (312) 426-8777; and voice civ (703) 588-7922 or DSN (312) 425-7922). Requests must be made according to AR 27-10, paragraph 18-22.


(1) The request must include the information listed in AR 27-10, paragraph 18-22b. The time constraints and information requirements of that paragraph must be met. If time constraints cannot be met, an explanation for the failure must be provided to identify systemic problems.

(2) The Clerk of Court, United States Army Judiciary, does not arrange for travel of active duty military personnel or DOD civilians as witnesses in courts-martial. The trial counsel must communicate directly with the commanding officer of the prospective witness. The general court-martial jurisdiction SJA can assist. An information copy of the communication should be sent to the United States Army Judiciary (JALS-CCS) if the Clerk of Court, United States Army Judiciary, is arranging civilian witnesses for the same case, especially if the civilian witness is related to a military witness.

(3) The Clerk of Court, United States Army Judiciary, must be provided the reason for and probable disposition of the case when the requirement for a requested witness is canceled. Providing this information is a requirement of the Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982, as implemented by AR 27-10, chapter 18.

d. Provide a copy of the information letter for U.S. witnesses (this reg, app D) and a copy of the witness information sheet for civilian witnesses from the United States who testify in courts-martial (fig F-1) to the witness.

e. Communicate with the witness by telephone to keep the witness informed and to reduce potential problems.

f. Make arrangements for local transportation and lodging of the witness after the USALSA issues invitational travel orders and notifies the SJA of the estimated arrival time.

g. Review witness information (fig F-1) with the witness. This review will ensure the witness is familiar with payable fees and allowances and with payment procedures.

h. Prepare an SF 1156 and an SF 1157 according to Defense Finance and Accounting Service-Indianapolis (DFAS-IN) Regulation 37-1 and Soldier Training Publication 12-71D15-SM-TG. Confirmation of advance payments will be made and noted on the forms.


(1) Vouchers covering expenses authorized by DFAS-IN Regulation 37-1 will be submitted to the finance and accounting officer who normally services the installation where the court is convened. This submission will be made even if expenses are paid or allowances are owed after the witness leaves the area of jurisdiction (DFAS-IN Reg 37-1).

(2) Witnesses may receive advance payment of total travel allowances and attendance fees equal to a 1-day entitlement (DFAS-IN Reg 37-1). Other fees and allowances can be paid only as accrued.

(3) Witnesses should be paid expenses incurred and other authorized fees and allowances before leaving the overseas area of jurisdiction.


(a) The class-A agent officer may draw funds for paying the witness, or the witness may be escorted to the finance and accounting office for direct payment before leaving the area of jurisdiction.

(b) Arrangements for the witness to process through the finance and accounting office after testifying and before being excused by the military judge will be coordinated with the military judge.

(c) The finance and accounting office should process payment immediately on presentation of the completed vouchers.

(d) If immediate cash payment cannot be obtained or is not desired, vouchers should still be processed before the witness leaves the jurisdiction so that payment by check can be made.

(4) Final settlement for unanticipated expenses incurred when the witness returns to the United States can be made after the witness returns to the United States. The trial counsel should supply vouchers, instructions for completion, and an addressed envelope to return the claim to his or her office. Claims must be made to the finance and accounting office serving the installation where the court is located ((3) above).

(5) If settlement has not been made or processed for payment by check before the witness leaves, the OSJA should follow up with necessary inquiries to the witness.

WITNESS INFORMATION SHEET

1. This information sheet is provided to help you understand your travel entitlements in connection with your appearance as a witness. It does not cover every possibility, but is meant to be a guide. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the victim/witness liaison officer or the trial counsel.

a. Transportation Entitlements.


(1) The U.S. Government will pay for travel from your home to the airport from which you fly to Europe and, on return, for travel from the reentry airport in the United States to your home. In all cases, the Government—


(a) Provides its own transportation or obtains it from a commercial source.

(b) Pays for common-carrier expenses at the least expensive rate (for example, coach fare rather than first class).

(c) Pays [XX] cents per mile.

(d) Pays a combination of the above.

Example: If you traveled by car from your home (H) to town (T), then took a bus to the city (C), then took a domestic airline to the airport (A) from which you flew to Europe, you will be reimbursed as follows:

Mileage from H to T at [XX] cents per mile, plus the cost of the bus ticket from T to C, plus the cost of the coach fare airline ticket from C to A.

(2) For your flight from the airport in the United States to your overseas destination and back, you will receive either transportation provided by the Government or payment for a commercial ticket you buy up to the amount the Government would have paid if it had bought the ticket. (You must fly on an American-flag carrier.) Payment is calculated on the actual cost, not to exceed the most economical rate available. You are free to sightsee in connection with your trip to Europe as a witness, but the Government cannot pay for sightseeing costs.

(3) Your entitlements for travel to and from the airport in Europe to the place of trial are the same as for travel described in (1) above.

b. Reimbursable Expenses. You will be paid for toll charges for roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferries; for taxi fares between places of lodging and common-carrier terminals; and for parking fees. Remember to obtain and keep receipts to turn in when you file your claim.

c. Daily Expenses. You will be paid for daily expenses, such as meals, lodging, and laundry, according to Government tables, called “per diem rates,” which are based on the local cost of living. These rates vary from place to place. When you arrive, the legal clerk or trial counsel will explain the per diem rates that apply to your trip. You should keep receipts for all expenses for which you think you might be paid.


(1) If you take a few extra days for sightseeing, the U.S. Government will pay per diem only for the time that you would have needed to travel as a witness if you had come and gone directly to the place of trial.

(2) For full days at the place of trial, you will be paid per diem at the daily rate.


(a) [XX] percent of this rate applies to lodging, so the amount payable per day will be reduced if you stay in Government accommodations. You will be paid [XX] percent per diem for meals, $[XX] for miscellaneous expenses, plus the actual cost of the room. (Here is a note of warning that you, as a taxpayer, will understand and appreciate: If Government quarters are available and suitable, your per diem rate will be reduced even if you choose not to stay in the Government quarters. It is in your interest to check with the trial counsel before making hotel arrangements.)

(b) If you eat in a Government dining facility, the per diem rate will be reduced by [XX] percent for each meal consumed. You are not required to eat in a Government dining facility and your per diem rate will not be affected if you do not, even if a Government dining facility is available.

d. Witness Fee. You will be paid a witness fee of $[XX] per day for each day of attendance. (Compensation also may be based on German law if such payment is more advantageous to you. In order to allow such a comparison, you should be prepared to submit evidence of wages you will lose due to your appearance.)

2. Before leaving the United States, you can be paid a travel allowance and witness fee for 1 day. You can get help in receiving this payment from the United States Army Legal Services Agency in Falls Church, Virginia. A representative of that agency will contact you. You can receive other payments only as you pay expenses or are owed fees and allowances. Because of this, you should carry enough funds with you to cover your expenses until you are paid.

3. Before you leave this command, we will prepare the necessary paperwork for filing your claim for expenses. You will be paid for all expenses you are due up to the point of your departure. In addition, if you have not already received advance payment for travel, we will buy the plane ticket for your return flight and pay you [XX] cents per mile between the port of entry into the United States and the place where you began your travel. Claims for the additional costs of commercial transportation can be made after you complete your travel. You may, of course, decide to return at your own expense and file your claim later, but the payment limits outlined above will apply.

4. Under Army regulations, your claim for expenses must be submitted to the finance and accounting officer who services the installation where the case is tried. In this case, the servicing finance and accounting office is _____________. Any claim for extra expenses during your return trip home for which you have not been paid must be sent to that office for payment. If you need to do this, please send the victim/witness liaison officer or trial counsel the paperwork. Your claim for payment by check will be processed as soon as possible. For future reference, the address of your victim/witnesses liaison officer or trial counsel is _______________.

5. Your attendance at this trial is sincerely appreciated. If you have any questions concerning your payment or if you have any problems, please see the victim/witness liaison officer or the trial counsel so that your questions can be answered and your problems can be solved before you leave Europe.

2

Figure F-1. Sample Witness Information Sheet for Civilian Witnesses From the United States Who Testify in Courts-Martial in Europe

APPENDIX G
COMPENSATING WITNESSES AND EXPERTS AND THE FEE SCHEDULE FOR EXPERTS (TRANSLATION OF APPLICABLE GERMAN LAWS)

LAW CONCERNING THE REMUNERATION OF EXPERTS, INTERPRETERS, AND TRANSLATORS AS WELL AS THE COMPENSATION OF HONORARY JUDGES, WITNESSES, AND THIRD PERSONS (Law Concerning Remuneration and Compensation in Connection With Court Proceedings — Justizvergütungs- und Entschädigungsgesetz/JVEG) in the version of 5 May 2004, Federal Law Gazette I, 2004, p. 776 with subsequent amendments through 12 December 2007.

CONTENTS

PART 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Scope of Application and Entitled Persons
Section 2. Assertion and Expiration of Claim, Statute of Limitations
Section 3. Advance Payment
Section 4. Assessment by Court and Complaint
Section 4a. Remedy in Case of a Violation of the Right To Be Heard Before the Court
Section 4b. Electronic File, Electronic Document

PART 2
JOINT PROVISIONS

Section 5. Compensation of Travel Expenses
Section 6. Compensation of Costs
Section 7. Reimbursement of Other Expenses

PART 3
REMUNERATION OF EXPERTS, INTERPRETERS, AND TRANSLATORS

Section 8. Basis for Remuneration
Section 9. Fee for Service of Experts and Interpreters
Section 10. Fee for Special Services
Section 11. Fee for Translations
Section 12. Reimbursement of Special Expenses
Section 13. Special Remuneration
Section 14. Agreement on Remuneration

PART 4
COMPENSATION OF HONORARY JUDGES

Section 15. Basis for Compensation
Section 16. Compensation for Loss of Time
Section 17. Compensation for Negative Effects on Housekeeping
Section 18. Compensation for Loss of Earnings

PART 5
COMPENSATION OF WITNESSES AND THIRD PERSONS

Section 19. Basis for Compensation
Section 20. Compensation for Loss of Time
Section 21. Compensation for Negative Effects on Housekeeping
Section 22. Compensation for Loss of Earnings
Section 23. Compensation of Third Persons

PART 6
FINAL PROVISIONS

Section 24. Temporary Provisions
Section 25. Temporary Provisions Due To Entry Into Force of This Law

Annex 1 (re section 9, paragraph 1)
Annex 2 (re section 10, paragraph 1)

PART 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 1. SCOPE OF APPLICATION AND ENTITLED PERSONS

(1) This law regulates—


1. The remuneration of experts, interpreters, and translators whose services are requested by the court, the public prosecutor’s office, the tax authority in cases in which it conducts the preliminary investigation independently, the administrative authority in case of proceedings pursuant to the Law on Administrative Offenses, or the bailiff;

2. The compensation of honorary judges at a court of general jurisdiction and the courts for labor issues as well as the courts with jurisdiction in administrative, tax, and social matters with the exception of honorary judges in trade matters in disciplinary court proceedings or at disciplinary tribunals, as well as

3. The compensation of witnesses and third persons (section 23) called in by the agencies listed in number 1.

Remuneration or compensation is granted only in accordance with this law. The person whose services were requested is entitled to remuneration pursuant to sentence 1, number 1; this applies also to personnel of a company rendering a service, even if the order was placed with the company.

(2) This law also applies if authorities or other public agencies are requested to render expert services by the agencies stated in paragraph 1, sentence 1, number 1. This law does not apply to members of an authority or other public agency who are neither honorary officers nor working on an honorary basis if they render, defend, or explain an expert opinion as part of their official responsibilities.

(3) A request for services by the police or another law-enforcement authority upon order or previous approval by the office of the public prosecutor or the tax authority is equal to a request by the public prosecutor’s office or the tax authority in the cases of paragraph 1, sentence 1, number 1. Sentence 1 shall apply accordingly to proceedings of an administrative authority pursuant to the Law on Administrative Offenses.

(4) The members of the committees for the appointment of lay judges and those of the committees for the appointment of honorary judges at the courts of jurisdiction for administrative and tax matters will be compensated in the same manner as honorary judges.

SECTION 2. ASSERTION AND EXPIRATION OF CLAIM, STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

(1) Claim to remuneration or compensation expires if it is not asserted within 3 months at the agency that requested or ordered the services of the entitled person. The period starts to run—


1. In case of a written opinion or preparation of a translation, on receipt of the opinion or the translation by the agency requesting the service from the entitled person,

2. In case of an examination as an expert or witness or assistance as an interpreter, on completion of the examination or the assistance rendered;

3. In the cases of section 23, on completion of the measure, and

4. In case of rendering a service as an honorary judge or member of a committee within the meaning of section 1, paragraph 4, on completion of the office term.

Based on a justified request, the period may be extended by the agency designated in sentence 1; if it denies an extension, it will immediately submit the request to the court with competence for assessing the remuneration or compensation pursuant to section 4, paragraph 1, which will make a final decision. If the court denies the request, the claim will expire if the period pursuant to sentence 1 has run and the claim has not been asserted at the agency designated in sentence 1 within 2 weeks of publication of the decision.

(2) If the entitled person is hindered from complying with the timeframe pursuant to paragraph 1 without fault of his or her own, the court will grant restitution to the previous condition on request, if the individual states the amount of the claim within 2 weeks after elimination of the hindrance and provides credible reasons for a restitution to the previous condition. After a period of 1 year, starting at the end of the expiration period, restitution to the previous condition can no longer be requested. Denial of restitution may be appealed. Such an appeal is authorized only if filed within 2 weeks. This period begins when the decision is served. Section 4, paragraph 4, sentences 1 through 3, and paragraphs 6 through 8, will apply accordingly.

(3) The claim to remuneration or compensation becomes statute-barred after 3 years at the end of that calendar year during which the material point in time pursuant to paragraph 1, sentence 2, numbers 1 through 4, has occurred. The provisions of the Civil Code (BGB) will apply to the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations is suspended by a request for assessment by court (section 4) in the same way as complaints are filed. The statute of limitations will not be considered ex officio.

(4) The claim to reimbursement of an overpaid remuneration or compensation becomes statute-barred after 3 years at the end of the calendar year in which payment was made. Section 5, paragraph 3, of the Law on Court Costs (Gerichtskostengesetz) applies accordingly.

SECTION 3. ADVANCE PAYMENT

On request, a reasonable advance payment will be granted if the entitled person has incurred or is likely to incur substantial travel costs or other expenses, or if the expected reimbursement for a part of the services already rendered exceeds €2,000.

SECTION 4. ASSESSMENT BY COURT AND COMPLAINT

(1) Assessment of the remuneration, compensation, or advance payment will be made by court decision if the entitled person or the treasury requests an assessment by court or the court considers it appropriate. Competence lies with—


1. The court that requested the services of the entitled person, or the court at which that person participated as an honorary judge or at which the committee within the meaning of section 1, paragraph 4, is established;

2. The court where the office of the public prosecutor is located if the request was initiated by the public prosecutor’s office or upon its order or approval by the police or other law-enforcement agency; after public charges have been preferred, however, the court in charge of the proceedings;

3. The State court at which the public prosecutor’s office is located that would be in charge of the preliminary investigation if the request in the cases of section 1, paragraph 1, sentence 1, number 1, was initiated by the tax authority or on its order or with its approval by the police or other law-enforcement agency; after public charges have been preferred, however, the court in charge of the proceedings;

4. The district court in the area in which the bailiff has his or her official seat, if the request for service was initiated by the bailiff, in deviation therefrom; in case of enforcement proceedings, the court having jurisdiction of such proceedings.

(2) If the request for service was made by the administrative authority in the course of administrative fine proceedings, the remuneration or compensation to be granted and the advance payment will be assessed by court decision if the entitled person requests a court decision against assessment by the administrative authority. Section 62 of the Law Concerning Administrative Fines will apply to the proceedings.

(3) The entitled person and the treasury may file a complaint against the decision pursuant to paragraph 1 if the amount in dispute exceeds €200 or if the court that rendered the appealed decision allows the complaint based on the fundamental importance of the issue to be decided.

(4) To the extent that the court considers the complaint permissible and valid, it has to remedy it; otherwise the complaint will immediately be submitted to the court of appeal. The court of appeal is the court at the next higher level. A complaint to a higher Federal court does not occur. The court of appeal is bound by the complaint’s being allowed; rejection cannot be appealed.

(5) A further complaint is only permissible if the State court has rendered a decision as appellate court and has allowed it in its decision based on the fundamental importance of the issue to be decided. It can only be justified with the reason that the decision is based on a violation of law; sections 546 and 547 of the Code of Civil Procedure will apply accordingly. The superior State court will decide on the further complaint. Paragraph 4, sentences 1 and 4, will apply accordingly.

(6) Briefs and statements may be submitted to the record of the clerk’s office or in writing; section 129a of the Code of Civil Procedure will apply accordingly. The provisions of the rules of procedure applicable to the basic proceedings apply accordingly to the authorization. The complaint will be filed with the court that issued the decision which is being appealed.

(7) The court will render the decision on the request through one of its judges sitting alone; the same applies to the complaint, if the appealed decision was rendered by a judge sitting alone or a senior court officer. The judge sitting alone will transfer the procedure to the division or the senate if the matter involves specific problems of either factual or legal nature or if the legal issue is of fundamental importance. However, the court will always decide without participation of honorary judges. An appeal may not be based on an initiated or omitted transfer.
(8) The proceedings will be free of charge. Costs will not be reimbursed.

(9) The decisions pursuant to paragraphs 1, 2, 4, and 5 are not operative against the party liable for the costs.

SECTION 4A. REMEDY IN CASE OF VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD BEFORE THE COURT

(1) Based on an objection by a person involved who is adversely affected by a decision pursuant to this law, the proceedings will be continued if—


1. An appeal or any other legal remedy against the decision is not possible, and

2. The court has violated this person’s right to be heard before the court in a manner relevant to the issues of the case.

(2) The objection will be raised within 2 weeks after obtaining knowledge of the violation of the right to be heard before the court; the time when it became known must be substantiated. If a year has elapsed after publication of the attacked decision, an objection can no longer be raised. Informally communicated decisions are considered published on the 3d day after they were mailed. The objection will be raised with the court that made the decision which is being attacked; section 4, paragraph 6, sentences 1 and 2, apply accordingly. The objection must designate the attacked decision and state the existence of the prerequisites mentioned in paragraph 1, number 2.

(3) The other persons involved will, if necessary, be given the opportunity to make a statement.

(4) Ex officio, the court will review the objection to determine whether or not it is in fact admissible and to determine if it was raised in the form and within the time limit required by law. If one of these requirements is not met, the objection will be dismissed as inadmissible. If the objection is not justified, the court will reject it. Such a decision is rendered in a final order. The order must be provided with a brief justification.

(5) If the objection is justified, the court will remedy it by continuing the proceedings, in case such measure is necessary based on the objection.

(6) Costs will not be reimbursed.

SECTION 4B. ELECTRONIC FILE, ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT

(1) The regulations on the electronic file and the electronic court document for the proceedings in which the services of the entitled person were requested will apply.

(2) If a recording as an electronic document is sufficient for petitions and statements in the proceedings in which the services of the entitled person were requested, this form of document will also be sufficient for petitions and statements pursuant to this law. The responsible person will provide the document with a qualified electronic signature in accordance with the Signature Law. If a transmitted electronic document cannot be processed by the court, the sender will immediately be informed accordingly and the general technical conditions will be stated.

(3) An electronic document is considered submitted as soon as it was recorded by the court’s receiving device.

PART 2
JOINT PROVISIONS

SECTION 5. COMPENSATION OF TRAVEL EXPENSES

(1) Actually incurred expenditures for use of regularly running public transportation will be reimbursed in the amount of the respective costs for first-class travel by train including expenses for seat reservations and transportation of the needed luggage.

(2) When using their own motor vehicle or a motor vehicle provided for use at no cost—


1. Witnesses or third persons (section 23) will be reimbursed €0.25 to compensate the operating costs and the wear and tear of the motor vehicle, and

2. Entitled persons designated in section 1, paragraph 1, sentence 1, numbers 1 and 2, will be reimbursed €0.30 to compensate purchase, maintenance, and operating costs,

for each driven kilometer plus regular expenses in cash incurred by use of the vehicle for the trip, in particular parking fees. In case the vehicle is used by several persons, the standard rate can be claimed only once. In case a motor vehicle is used that does not fall under the category of vehicles designated in paragraph 1 or sentence 1, travel costs actually incurred will be reimbursed up to the amount of the travel costs designated in sentence 1; in addition, regular expenses in cash incurred by use of the vehicle for the trip, in particular parking fees, will be reimbursed to the extent that the entitled person has to bear them.

(3) Travel costs exceeding those designated in paragraph 1 or paragraph 2 will be reimbursed if additional amounts for remuneration or compensation can thereby be saved or if higher travel costs are required because of special circumstances.

(4) For trips taken in the course of the proceedings, travel costs will be reimbursed only to the extent that additional amounts for remuneration or compensation are thereby saved and would otherwise have to be granted if the person remained at the location of the proceedings.

(5) If the trip to the place of the proceedings begins at a location different than the one stated in the summons or notification of proceedings or the one immediately stated to the competent agency, or if the return trip is made to a different place, additional costs will be reimbursed only in a manner that is fair if the entitled person was forced to make these trips under special circumstances.

SECTION 6. COMPENSATION OF COSTS

(1) A person who neither lives nor works in the local community in which the proceedings take place will receive a per diem allowance for the time he or she must absent from his or her residence and his or her work to attend the court proceedings; the amount is determined in accordance with section 4, paragraph 5, sentence 1, number 5, sentence 2, of the Income Tax Law (Einkommensteuergesetz).

(2) If an overnight stay away from home is necessary, an overnight allowance pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Law on Travel Costs will be granted.

SECTION 7. REIMBURSEMENT OF OTHER EXPENSES

(1) Such cash expenses that are not specifically mentioned in sections 5, 6, and 12 will be reimbursed to the extent that they are necessary. This applies in particular to costs for necessary replacements and necessary accompanying persons.

(2) For photocopies and printouts, €0.50 per page will be reimbursed for the first 50 pages and €0.15 for each additional page; for color photocopies or color printouts, €2.00 will be compensated per page. The amount of the standard rate will be calculated uniformly for one and the same matter. A standard rate will be granted only for copies and printouts made from official and court files if they were required for an adequate preparation of or working on the matter, as well as for copies and additional printouts that were made on demand of the agency requesting the service.

(3) For making available of electronically stored files instead of the copies mentioned in paragraph 2, €2.50 per file will be reimbursed.

PART 3
REMUNERATION OF EXPERTS, INTERPRETERS, AND TRANSLATORS

SECTION 8. BASIS FOR REMUNERATION

(1) Experts, interpreters, and translators will receive as remuneration—


1. A fee for their services (sections 9 to 11),

2. Reimbursement of travel costs (section 5),

3. Compensation of costs (section 6),

4. Reimbursement of other and special expenses (sections 7 and 12).

(2) If the fee has to be calculated in hourly rates, it will be granted for each hour the service is required plus travel and waiting time. The last hour that has already started will be calculated as a full hour if more than 30 minutes were required to render the service; otherwise, the fee will be half of the amount to be paid for a full hour.

(3) If services or expenses subject to remuneration are applicable to simultaneous completion of several matters, remuneration will be divided by the number of matters to be worked.

(4) As appears just, experts, interpreters, and translators who are ordinarily resident outside Germany may be granted a higher remuneration than the one determined in paragraph 1 in consideration of their personal circumstances, in particular their regular earned income.

SECTION 9. FEE FOR SERVICE OF EXPERTS AND INTERPRETERS

(1) Experts will receive the following fee per hour:

Fee   Category	Amount   in Euros
1	50
2	55
3	60
4	65
5	70
6	75
7	80
8	85
9	90
10	95
M1	50
M2	60
M3	85

Attribution of services to a fee category is determined pursuant to annex 1. If the service is rendered in a technical field that is not listed in any of the fee categories, it will be attributed to a fee category as appears just under consideration of the hourly rates generally paid for such services outside the judicial and official field; this applies accordingly if a medical or psychological expertise concerns an item that is not listed in any of the fee categories. If the service is rendered in several technical fields or if the medical or psychological expertise concerns several issues and these technical fields or issues belong to different fee categories, the fee is determined uniformly for the entire time that was required according to the highest of these fee categories; sentence 3, however, will apply accordingly if such calculation would lead to an unfair result in consideration of the main focus of the service. Section 4 applies accordingly provided that the complaint is also permissible if the value of the matter in dispute does not exceed €200. The complaint is authorized only as long as the claim for remuneration has not been asserted.

(2) In the case of section 22, paragraph 1, sentence 2, number 3 of the insolvency regulations, the fee of the expert is determined at €65 per hour in deviation from paragraph 1.

(3) The fee for an interpreter is €55 per hour. A person working exclusively as an interpreter will receive a deficiency compensation in the maximum amount of €55 to the extent that he or she suffered a loss of income due to cancellation of a court hearing for which he was summoned and which was cancelled for a reason for which he or she was not responsible, and if he or she was notified of the cancellation on the same day or 1 or 2 days before the hearing.

SECTION 10. FEE FOR SPECIAL SERVICES

(1) If an expert or an expert witness renders services that are designated in annex 2, the fee or compensation will be determined based on that annex.

(2) For services of the type designated in part O of the Fee Schedule for Medical Services (Annex re Schedule of Medical Fees), the fee is determined by respective application of this fee schedule and calculating 1.3 times the rate. Section 4, paragraphs 2 to 4, sentence 1, and section 10 of the Schedule of Medical Fees will apply accordingly; otherwise sections 7 and 12 will remain unaffected.

(3) If additional time is required to render a service under paragraph 1 or 2, the entitled person will receive a fee according to fee category 1.

SECTION 11. FEE FOR TRANSLATIONS

(1) The fee for a translation is €1.25 for the first 55 keystrokes of the written text. If a translation is extremely difficult because of technical terms or poor legibility, the fee will be increased to €1.85; in case of extraordinarily difficult texts, to €4. The text in the target language is used when determining the number of keystrokes; if, however, only Latin letters are used in the source language, the number of keystrokes in the source language text is used for determining keystrokes. If counting the keystrokes would require an unreasonable effort, their number will be determined based on the number of lines, taking the average number of keystrokes per line into consideration.

(2) For one or several translations based on the same order, the fee will be at least €15.

(3) If the service of the translator consists of reviewing documents or telecommunication recordings with regard to certain contents, without a written translation being required, he or she shall receive the same fee as an interpreter.

SECTION 12. REIMBURSEMENT OF SPECIAL EXPENSES

(1) If not otherwise provided by this law, remuneration pursuant to sections 9 through 11 also covers common general and administrative costs as well as the expenses normally incurred in connection with the preparation of an expert opinion or a translation. However, special compensation will be granted for—


1. The incurred required special costs for the preparation and rendering of an expert opinion or a translation, including related necessary expenses for assisting personnel, as well as for substances and tools used for an examination;

2. The slides necessary for the preparation and rendering of expertise or the printouts replacing them at €2 for the first copy or printout, and €0.50 for each additional copy or printout; 3. The preparation of a written expert opinion at €0.75 for the first 1,000 keystrokes; if the number of keystrokes is not known, it will be estimated;

4. The turnover-tax imposed on the remuneration, unless it is not imposed pursuant to section 19, paragraph 1, of the Turnover Tax Law (Umsatzsteuergesetz).

(2) A part of the general and administrative costs attributable to the assisting personnel (paragraph 1, sentence 2, number 1) will be compensated by a supplement of 15 percent of the amount that is to be compensated as a necessary expense for assisting personnel, unless the use of such personnel did not or only very minimally contributed to an increase in the general and administrative costs.

SECTION 13. SPECIAL REMUNERATION

(1) If, pursuant to the rules of procedure, the court costs are in any case to be imposed on the parties or persons involved and these parties have indicated to the court that they agree to a specific remuneration or a remuneration that deviates from the legal provisions, the services of the expert, interpreter, or translator will be requested and such remuneration will be granted only after a sufficient amount for the entire remuneration has been paid to the treasury.

(2) The statement of one party or one person involved is sufficient if it refers to the hourly rate pursuant to section 9 or for written translations to the remuneration for the first 55 keystrokes pursuant to section 11 and the court consents. Consent will be given only if the fee does not exceed one and a half times the amount authorized pursuant to sections 9 through 11. Before it consents, the court will hear the other party or the other persons involved. Consent and denial of consent are not subject to appeal.

(3) A person who has been granted legal aid may make a statement pursuant to paragraph 1 only with reference to the hourly rate pursuant to section 9 or for written translations to the remuneration for the first 55 keystrokes pursuant to section 11. If he or she were obliged to make an advance payment on the remuneration without taking into account the legal aid, he or she would have to pay a sufficient amount to the treasury for the remuneration expected in addition to the legally required or agreed remuneration (section 14); section 122, paragraph 1, number 1, letter a of the Code of Civil Procedure will not be applicable in this case. The amount will be determined in a decision that cannot be appealed.

(4) If an agreement pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 3 is necessary for an appropriate prosecution and the person who has been granted legal aid is unable to pay the amount necessary pursuant to paragraph 3, sentence 2, the payment is not required if the court agrees to his or her statement. Consent will be given only if the fee does not exceed one and a half times the amount authorized pursuant to sections 9 through 11. Consent and denial of consent are not subject to appeal.

(5) In test proceedings pursuant to the Law Concerning Test Proceedings on Capital Investments (Kapitalanleger-Musterverfahrensgesetz), remuneration will be granted without considering whether a sufficient amount has been paid to the treasury. In case of paragraph 2, the statement of one involved party is sufficient (section 8 of the Law Concerning Test Proceedings on Capital Investments). Paragraphs 3 and 4 will not be applied. Hearing of the remaining parties involved may be replaced by giving public notice of the remuneration amount for which approval of the court is to be given. Public notice is effected by entry into the register of court actions pursuant to section 2 of the Law Concerning Test Proceedings on Capital Investments. At least 4 weeks must pass between giving of public notice and the decision on the approval.

(6) If a party or a person involved has indicated to the court to agree to a specific hourly rate pursuant to section 9 or for a written translation to a specific remuneration for the first 55 keystrokes, such remuneration will be granted if the party or the person involved also agrees to assume the incurred additional costs and a sufficient amount has been paid to the treasury for the remuneration expected in addition to the legally required or the agreed remuneration (section 14); an existing obligation to make an advance payment pursuant to other provisions on the basis of the legal or agreed remuneration will remain unaffected. Several persons who have made a statement pursuant to sentence 1 will be liable to the treasury as joint and several debtors, internally per capita. Additional costs are not part of the proceedings’ costs.

(7) In the cases of paragraphs 3 and 6, the court determines (together with the assessment of the amount to be paid to the treasury) the fee category for the service provided by the expert without considering the statements of the parties or persons involved or the amount to be paid for 55 keystrokes for a translation in such a case.

SECTION 14. AGREEMENT ON REMUNERATION

The highest Land authority, in case of the Federal courts and authorities, the highest Federal authority, or an agency assigned by them may agree with experts, interpreters, and translators whose services are frequently requested on the remuneration to be granted; however, the remuneration may not exceed the amount provided for by this law.

PART 4
COMPENSATION OF HONORARY JUDGES

SECTION 15. BASIS FOR COMPENSATION

(1) Honorary judges receive as compensation—


1. Reimbursement of travel costs (section 5),

2. Compensation of costs (section 6),

3. Reimbursement of other expenses (section 7),

4. Compensation for loss of time (section 16),

5. Compensation for negative effects on housekeeping (section 17), as well as

6. Compensation for loss of earnings (section 18).

(2) If compensation is calculated on an hourly basis, it will be granted for the entire time the service is required, including necessary travel and waiting times; however, compensation will be for no more than 10 hours per day. The last already started hour will be calculated as 1 full hour.

(3) Compensation will also be granted—


1. If honorary judges have to attend introductory and continuing education conferences on the initiative of the responsible State agency;

2. If honorary judges at the labor and social courts participate in such capacity in the election of committees required for them by law or if they participate in sessions of such committees (sections 29 and 38 of the Law on Labor Courts, and sections 23; 35 (paragraph 1), and 47 of the Law on Social Courts).

SECTION 16. COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OF TIME

The compensation for loss of time will be €5 per hour.

SECTION 17. COMPENSATION FOR NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON HOUSEKEEPING

Honorary judges keeping their own household for several persons will receive an additional compensation for negative effects on housekeeping in the amount of €12 per hour in addition to the compensation pursuant to section 16 if they are not employed or if they work part-time and are requested outside their agreed regular daily workhours. Compensation for part-time employees will be granted for a maximum of 10 hours per day minus the number of hours corresponding to the agreed regular workhours. The compensation will not be granted if costs for a necessary replacement are reimbursed.

SECTION 18. COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OF EARNINGS

In addition to the compensation pursuant to section 16, an additional compensation will be granted for loss of earnings, which will be determined based on the regular gross income including the social security payments made by the employer; this compensation, however, will not exceed the maximum amount of €20 per hour. Compensation will be up to €39 per hour for honorary judges whose services are required for more than 20 days for the same proceedings or who are absent from their regular employment for at least 6 days within a period of 30 days. It will be up to €51 per hour for honorary judges whose attendance is required for more than 50 days in the same proceedings.

PART 5
COMPENSATION OF WITNESSES AND THIRD PERSONS

SECTION 19. BASIS FOR COMPENSATION

(1) Witnesses receive as compensation—


1. Reimbursement of travel costs (section 5),

2. Compensation of costs (section 6),

3. Reimbursement of other expenses (section 7),

4. Compensation for loss of time (section 20),

5. Compensation for negative effects on housekeeping (section 21), as well as

6. Compensation for loss of earnings (section 22).

This also applies in case of a written response to a question about evidence.

(2) If compensation is calculated on an hourly basis, it will be granted for the entire time attendance is required, including necessary travel and waiting times; this compensation, however, will be for no more than 10 hours per day. The last already started hour will be calculated as 1 full hour.

(3) If compensation is required when services of a witness are requested simultaneously in different matters, it will be divided between these matters pursuant to the proportions of compensation that would be justified in case of a special request.

(4) Witnesses who are ordinarily resident in a foreign country, may, on fair judgment, receive a higher compensation than the one determined in sections 20 to 22, in consideration of their personal circumstances, in particular their regularly earned income.

SECTION 20. COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OF TIME

Compensation for lost time is €3 per hour, provided that no compensation must be granted for loss of earnings or negative effects on housekeeping, unless the witness did not suffer an obvious disadvantage from his or her requested appearance in court.

SECTION 21. COMPENSATION FOR NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON HOUSEKEEPING

Witnesses keeping their own household for several persons will receive compensation for negative effects on housekeeping in the amount of €12 per hour if they are not gainfully employed or if they work part-time and their services are requested outside their agreed regular daily workhours. Compensation for part-time employees will be granted for a maximum of 10 hours per day minus the number of hours corresponding to the agreed regular workhours. The compensation will not be granted if costs for a necessary replacement are reimbursed.

SECTION 22. COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OF EARNINGS

Witnesses suffering a loss of earnings will receive a compensation that will be determined based on the regular gross income, including the social security payments made by the employer; however, this compensation will not exceed the maximum amount of €17 per hour. Prisoners who do not suffer loss of earnings from a private employment relationship will receive compensation in the amount of the lost allocation paid by the prosecution authority.

SECTION 23. COMPENSATION OF THIRD PERSONS

(1) Third persons submitting certificates, other documents, or other items on the basis of a court order pursuant to section 142, paragraph 1, sentence 1, or section 144, paragraph 1, of the Code of Civil Procedure, or who tolerate their inspection, as well as third persons who, on the basis of a request that serves purposes relating to evidence by the prosecuting authority—


1. Surrender objects (section 95, paragraph 1; and section 98a of the Code of Criminal Procedure) or avoid the obligation to surrender the object pursuant to a suggestion of the prosecuting authority;

2. Provide information;

3. Enable monitoring and recording of telecommunication (section 100, paragraph 3, of the Code of Criminal Procedure), or

4. By technical telecommunication measures enable the investigation—


a) Of such telecommunication connections from which a specific telecommunication connection was dialed (call tracing, search runs without data comparison pursuant to section 98 of the Code of Criminal Procedure),

b) The connections made from a telecommunication terminal (counting device) will be compensated in the same way as witnesses. This does not apply to providing the telephonic time information, maintaining operable or making available dialing connections as well as to making operable permanent connections available, which are not set up for specific monitoring measures.

(2) If the third person avails him- or herself of an employee or of another person, his or her expenses (section 7) will be compensated within the scope of section 22; section 19, paragraphs 2 and 3, apply accordingly.

(3) The necessary use of a data-processing system owned by the third person for purposes of a wanted-person search by scanning devices will be compensated if the investment amount for both hard- and software used in a specific case exceeds €10,000. The compensation will be—


1. In case of an investment amount of more than €10,000 [and up] to €25,000, €5 for each hour of use; the entire time of use will be rounded off to full hours;

2. In case of other data-processing systems—


a) In addition to the compensation pursuant to paragraph 1 for each hour the system is used for the development of a special application program necessary for a specific case, €10, and

b) For the other time of use including the necessary personnel hours, one-tenth of a million of the invested amount per second of the time during which the central processing unit is occupied (CPU-second), €0.30 per CPU-second at a maximum.

The invested amount and the used CPU time must be verified.

(4) The data-processing system owned by the person is equal to a system belonging to others if the directly attributable costs incurred by the providing of information (section 7) cannot be fully ascertained.

(5) In deviation from paragraphs 1 and 2, in the cases of paragraph 1, sentence 3, number 1, when a ready-for-use permanent connection is provided, an amount of €153 will be paid for a twin-line and an amount of €306 will be reimbursed for a four- or multiple-line permanent connection for each terminal not located inside the systems of the operator of the permanent connection; for the use of permanent connections and the use of dial connections, the compensation provided in the general scale of charges will be reimbursed.

PART 6
FINAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 24. TEMPORARY PROVISIONS

Remuneration and compensation will be calculated pursuant to previous law if the order to the expert, interpreter, or translator was placed before an amendment to the law went into effect or if the entitled person was requested to render the services before this time. This will also apply if regulations to which this law refers are amended.

SECTION 25. TEMPORARY PROVISIONS DUE TO ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THIS LAW

The Law Concerning Compensation of Honorary Judges in the version of the publication of 1 October 1969 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 1753), last amended by Article 1, paragraph 4, of the Law of 22 February 2002 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 981); and the Law Concerning the Compensation of Witnesses and Experts in the 1 October 1969 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 1756), last amended by Article 1, paragraph 5, of the Law of 22 February 2002 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 981); as well as references to these laws; will continue to be applied if the order to the expert, interpreter, or translator was placed before 1 July 2004 or the entitled person was summoned before this date. Sentence 1 will also apply to requests for service made before 1 July 2004 if the entitled person was also requested in the same matter after 1 July 2004.

Annex 1
(re section 9, paragraph 1)

Field of Expertise	Fee Category		Field of Expertise	Fee Category
Demolition	5		Wood/Wood Construction Work	4
Waste Materials	5		Fees (Architects and Engineers)	7
Accounting for Construction and Civil Engineering	6		Emissions	5
Acoustics, Noise Protection	5		Construction Engineering	4
Renovation of Old Buildings	5		Services and Technical Equipment of Buildings	5
Polluted Sites	3		Refrigeration Engineering	6
Building Physics	5		Motor Vehicle Damage and Evaluation	6
Building Material	5		Motor Vehicle Accident Causes	6
Sealing of Buildings	6		Art and Antiquities	4
Concrete, Reinforced Concrete, and Prestressed Concrete Construction	5		Machines and Plants	6
Damage due to Interruption or Relocation of Operation	9		Renting and Leasing	5
Evaluation of Real Estate	6		Furniture	3
Fire Protection and Causes of Fire	5		Musical Instruments	1
Stamps and Coins	2		Radio and Television Engineering	4
Office Furniture and Organization	5		Sanitary Engineering	5
Roof Constructions	5		Damages at Buildings	6
Data Processing	8		Ships, Watercrafts	4
Chart Analysis	5		Jewelry, Gems, Pearls, Gold, and Silverware	3
Electrotechnical Systems and Devices	5		Handwriting Analysis	3
Earth and Foundation Work	3		Welding Techniques	3
Vehicle Manufacturing	6		Blasting	2
Windows, Doors, Gates	5		Steel Construction	4
Tiles and Building Ceramics	5		Structural Calculation	4
Floors	4		Road Construction	5
Garden and Landscape Design; Gardening and Landscaping	3		Civil Engineering	4
Polygraphic Industry	6		Valuation of Enterprises	10
Household Goods	3		Surveying Technology	1
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation	4		Thermal Insulation	6
			Water Supply and Sewage	3

Subject of Medical or Psychological Expert Opinion	Fee Category
Simple expert evaluations, in particular— - regarding legal provisions relating to fees, - regarding reduction of earning capacity due to a mono-injury, - regarding evaluation of fitness for detention or interrogation, - regarding extension of guardianship concerning a person of full age.	M1
Descriptive (actual condition) evaluation in accordance with standardized pattern without discussion of special causal relations with simple medical prognosis on the course of a disease and of average complication level, in particular opinions— - regarding procedures pursuant to the Social Security Code IX, - regarding reduction of earning capacity and regarding invalidity, - regarding forensic and toxicological questions in connection with an impairment of fitness to drive a motor vehicle caused by alcohol, drugs, medication, or diseases, - regarding trace-analytical and forensic questions with findings investigations (for example, in case of injuries and other results of an accident), - regarding simple questions on criminal responsibility without particular difficult analysis of personality, - regarding initiation of a guardianship for a person of full age, - regarding support disputes based on inability to earn one’s living or disability, - regarding neurologic-psychological questions in proceedings pursuant to the Ordinance on Driving Permits (FeV).	M2
Highly complicated expert opinions (evaluation of special causal relations and/or problems in connection with differential diagnoses and/or evaluation of prognosis and/or assessment of disputed causation issues), in particular opinions— - regarding the causal relation in case of problematic consequences of injuries, - regarding medical malpractice, - in proceedings pursuant to the Crime Victims Compensation Act (OEG), - in proceedings pursuant to the Law on Discharged Prisoners’ Aid (HHG), - regarding criminal responsibility in case of problems with personality diagnostics, - in proceedings where a measure of reform and prevention is ordered (proceedings for withdrawal of driving permit, on neurological/psychological questions), - regarding crime prognosis, - regarding fitness to provide evidence, - regarding power of resistance, - in proceedings pursuant to sections 3, 10, 17, and 105 of the Youth Court Law (JGG), - in proceedings concerning commitment to an institution, - in proceedings pursuant to section 1905 of the Civil Code (BGB), - in proceedings pursuant to the Epizootic Diseases Act (TSG), - in proceedings concerning the regulation of child custody or right of access, - regarding legal capacity, testamentary capacity, or capacity to conduct proceedings in one’s own name, - regarding occupational diseases, and reduction of earning capacity in case of special problems, - regarding forensic, toxicological, and trace-analytical questions in connection with a final statement of the cause of death, medical malpractice, or evaluation of criminal responsibility.	M3

Annex 2
(re section 10, paragraph 1)

No.	Description of Service	Fee in Euros
Part 1 Post-Mortem Examination and Autopsy The fee in the cases of numbers 100 [and] 102 through 106 comprises the report provided for the record; in the cases of numbers 102 through 106, the fee also comprises the preliminary expertise. The fee pursuant to numbers 102 through 106 is paid separately to each person performing an autopsy.
100	Examination of a corpse, parts of a corpse, an embryo or a fetus, or rendering assistance during a judicial post-mortem examination. However, for several services on the same occasion, a maximum of	49.00 119.00
101	Preparation of a report provided either in writing or subsequently for the record However, for several services on the same occasion, a maximum of	25.00 84.00
102	Autopsy	195.00
103	Autopsy performed under particularly unfavorable external conditions: The fee 102 will be	275.00
104	Autopsy performed under other particularly unfavorable conditions (condition of corpse, etc.): The fee 102 will be	396.00
105	Dissection of parts of a corpse or autopsy of an embryo or nonviable fetus.	84.00
106	Dissection or autopsy under particularly unfavorable conditions: The fee 105 will be	119.00
Part 2 Findings
200	Issuance of a certificate of findings or providing of information in writing without detailed expert statements	21.00
201	The service of the type designated in number 200 is extraordinarily comprehensive: The fee 200 will be	up to 44.00
202	Report on medical findings, including a brief expert statement requested by the ordering agency, or a form-letter expert opinion if the questions are limited to case history, facts, and findings and require only a brief expert opinion	38.00
203	The service of the type designated in number 202 is extraordinarily comprehensive: The fee 202 will be	up to 75.00
Part 3 Examinations, Taking of Blood Samples
300	Examination of a foodstuff, utensil, medical drug, air, gases, soils, sludge, water or sewage, and the like, and a brief, written expert statement: The fee for each individual determination per specimen will be	4.00 to 51.00
301	The service of the type stated in number 300 is extraordinarily comprehensive or difficult: The fee 300 will be	up to 1,000.00
302	Microscopic, physical, chemical, toxicological, bacteriological, serological examination, if the material to be examined is of human or animal origin: The fee per each organ or body fluid will be The fee includes the used material, to the extent it is of minor value, and a brief expert statement.	5.00 to 51.00
303	The service described in number 302 is extremely comprehensive or difficult: The fee 302 will be.	up to 1,000.00
304	Preparation of a DNA sample and testing of its suitability (for example, high molecular weight, human origin, extent of degradation, checking of the digestion) The fee includes the used material, to the extent that it is of minor value, and a brief expert statement.	up to 205.00
305	Electrophysiological examination of a human being The fee includes a brief expert statement and the expenses in connection with the examination.	13.00 to 115.00
306	Electronic scanning examination of a human being or of a corpse, to include the contrast additive. This compensation will also encompass the brief expert opinion to be rendered and the expenses required for the examination.	13.00 to 300.00
307	Taking of blood sample. The fee includes a statement on the determination of identity.	9.00
Part 4 Expert Opinion on Lineage (1) Unless stated otherwise, the fee will be granted separately for each person to be examined. (2) Determination of a characteristic not stated in numbers 400 through 414 shall be compensated like a determination comparable with regard to the amount of work. (3) The fee shall include the used material if it is of minor value.
400	Determination of the AB0 blood group	10.00
401	Determination of the subgroup	8.00
402	Determination of the MN factors	8.00
403	Determination of the factors of the Rh-complex (C, Cw, C, D, E, e, and others) per factor. In case of determination of several factors, up to a maximum of	10.00 56.00
404	Determination of the blood group factors P, K, S, and others, if directly determinable, per factor. In case of determination of several factors, up to a maximum of.	10.00 56.00
405	Determination of factors that can only be indirectly proven (Du, s, Fy, and others) per factor. In case of determination of several factors, up to a maximum of.	23.00 86.00
406	Determination of all the factors of the HLA antigens of class I by means of lymphocyte toxicity tests with at least 180 antisera The fee includes the material including high-quality substances and test sera.	357.00
407	Additionally required titration test.	25.00
408	Additionally required special test (absorption, determination of the dose’s effect, etc.)	23.00
409	Determination of the types of acid erythrozyte phosphatase, of phosphoglucomutase, of adenylatekinase, of adenosine-deaminase, of glutamate pyruvate transaminase, of esterase D, of 6-phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase, and other enzyme systems	23.00
410	Determination of the factors of the Gm-system or of the Inv-system per factor In case of determination of several factors, up to a maximum of.	23.00 75.00
411	Determination of a system by means of protein staining or comparable staining after electrophoresis or focusing (Hp, Pi, Tf, C3, and other) per factor	23.00
412	Determination of a system by means of immune fixation or immunoblot after electrophoresis or focusing (Gc, PLG, ORM, F XIII, and other) per factor.	39.00
413	Determination of a VNTR-DNA-system or a comparably efficient system, per used tube Up to a maximum amount of The fee includes preparation of the material (e.g., isolation, digestion, and separation of human nucleic acids) as well as the evaluation.	140.00 800.00
414	Determination of an STR-DNA system, per system Up to a maximum amount of The fee includes preparation of the material (e.g., isolation, digestion, PCR, and the separation of human nucleic acids) as well as the evaluation.	40.00 600.00
415	Written expert opinion for each individual examined.	16.00
Part 5 Heredobiological Opinion on Lineage (1) The fee will encompass the entire work of the expert and of any needed assistants, in particular the examination, taking of photographs (including the necessary prints), preparation of molds, necessary casts and the like, as well as evaluation and assessment of the entire material; it shall further include the expenses for mail and telecommunication services as well as the costs for preparation of the written expertise in three parts and for a copy for the expert’s reference file. (2) The fee does not include— 1. Services pursuant to numbers 302 through 307 and pursuant to part 4 of this annex, 2. Services pursuant to part O of the Fee Schedule for Medical Services (annex to the Fee Schedule for Physicians), and 3. The cost of obtaining an expert opinion from specialized physicians with respect to heredopathological findings. (3) If the expert used the facilities of a public corporation, institution, or foundation, he or she will receive the compensation under 502 and 503 only to the amount of the actual cost incurred, up to the maximum amounts under numbers 502 and 503.
500	Heredobiological expert opinion according to recognized heredobiological methods, if up to three persons are examined	713.00
501	Examination of each additional person.	175.00
502	Preparation and writing of the expert opinion, if up to three persons are examined	214.00
503	Preparation and writing of the expert opinion for each additional person	55.00

GLOSSARY