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The Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary is a unified trial judiciary composed of active duty and reserve military judges (and their support personnel) of the Navy and the Marine Corps who preside over courts-martial conducted worldwide. In doing so, we provide crucial support to commanders in ensuring the maintenance of good order and discipline within our operating forces, while always guaranteeing due process and fundamental fairness for every court-martial accused. Our duty and highest calling is to ensure the complete and absolute professionalism, fairness, and integrity of our military justice system.
The Western Judicial Circuit (WJC) is one of ten trial circuits that make up the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary. The WJC is headed by the Circuit Military Judge who is located at Camp Pendleton, CA and is responsible to the Chief Trial Judge of the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary for docketing and detailing military judges to preside over courts-martial arising within the WJC area of responsibility.
The Circuit Military Judge has delegated to the Docketing Judge, subject to review, the authority to docket all Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial convened within the WJC. Accordingly, the Docketing Judge and the Clerk of Court for the WJC are the administrative points of contact for all cases arising within the WJC. The Docketing Judge and the Clerk of Court for the WJC are located at Camp Pendleton, CA, and may be reached at the following:
ATTN: Docketing Judge and/or Clerk of Court Box 555023 Bldg. 22161 Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5023 Phone 760-725-6273 Fax 760-725-6339 DSN 760-365-xxxx
All counsel, military and civilian, appearing before courts-martial within the WJC are required to follow: the Uniform Rules of Practice Before Navy and Marine Corps Courts-Martial (Uniform Rules); the WJC Rules of Court (WJC Circuit Rules); and, JAGINST 5803.1E (Professional Conduct of Attorneys Practicing Under the Cognizance and Supervision of the Judge Advocate General). Civilian counsel are required to file a notice of appearance immediately after being retained. A Notice of Appearance may be downloaded here and faxed to the Clerk of Court for the WJC.
The weekly docket promulgates the next week's court schedule for the WJC.
Once approved, the consolidated WJC docket is normally published no later than every Monday for the following week's court schedule. Once the WJC docket is published, changes may be made only with the approval of the Circuit Military Judge, the Docketing Judge, or the military judge assigned to a specific case.
Public or media inquiries pertaining to a case should be directed to the appropriate Communication Strategy & Operations Office (COMMSTRAT) or Public Affairs Office (PAO) listed below:
MCI-West/MCB Camp Pendleton: 760-763-2760 - email: pendletonmedia@usmc.mil I Marine Expeditionary Force: 760-763-7047 - email: imefcommstrat@usmc.mil 1st Marine Division: 760-725-1129/5528 - email: 1stMarDiv_CommstratSupport@usmc.mil 1st Marine Logistics Group 760-763-0755 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing 858-577-7843 - email: 3rdmawmedia@usmc.mil MCRD, San Diego: 619-524-8724/8720 MCAS, Miramar: 858-577-6000 MCAGCC, Twenty Nine Palms: 760-830-3760 MCAS, Yuma: 928-269-3612/2275 Naval Base San Diego: 619-532-1430 or 619-556-7359 Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton: 360-627-4031/4030
Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Navy Judge Advocate General SJA to CMC