Ralph Kohlmann

Ralph H. Kohlmann is an American lawyer and officer in the United States Marine Corps.cite news
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/13/us/13gitmo.html
title=From a Critic of Tribunals to Top Judge
publisher=New York Times
author=William Glaberson
date=December 13, 2007
accessdate=2008-02-10
quote=Back in 2002, a master’s degree candidate at the Naval War College wrote a paper on the Bush administration’s plan to use military commissions to try Guantánamo suspects, concluding that “even a good military tribunal is a bad idea.”

It drew little notice at the time, but the paper has gained a second life because of its author’s big promotion: Col. Ralph H. Kohlmann of the Marines is now the chief judge of the military commissions at the naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.] cite web
url=http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2008/04/02/10/judgesbios.source.prod_affiliate.56.pdf
title=Ralph H. Kohlmann: Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps
page=page 6
publisher=United States Air Force
accessdate=2008-05-29
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.miamiherald.com%2Fsmedia%2F2008%2F04%2F02%2F10%2Fjudgesbios.source.prod_affiliate.56.pdf&date=2008-05-25 mirror] ]

Education

Military career

For his first seven years as an officer Kohlmann served as a combat engineer. He switched to the Judge Advocate General Corps in 1987.

ervice in Guantanamo for the Office of Military Commissions

On December 18, 2005 Kohlmann was announced as a Presiding Officer for the Guantanamo Military Commissions.cite news
url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C12%5C18%5Cstory_18-12-2005_pg4_9
title=US military tribunals set up to judge two Guantanamo prisoners
publisher=Daily Times (Pakistan)
author=
date=2005-12-18
accessdate=2008-08-02
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytimes.com.pk%2Fdefault.asp%3Fpage%3D2005%255C12%255C18%255Cstory_18-12-2005_pg4_9&date=2008-08-01 mirror] ]

On Friday January 6, 2006 the Department of Defenseofficially appointed Kohlmann to preside over Binyam Mohammed's military commission.cite news
url=http://www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil/wire/WirePDF/v6/TheWire-v6-i040-6JAN2006.pdf
title=Military Commission charges referred
page=
pages=
publisher=The Wire (JTF-GTMO)
author=
date=January 6, 2006
accessdate=2008-02-22
quote=] In its ruling in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld the United States Supreme Court ruled that
President George W. Bush lacked the constitutional authority to create military commissions.

The Supreme Court had ruled that the United States Congress did have the constitutional authority create military commissions, and Congress subsequently passed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 a few months later, re-instituting military commissions very similar to the earlier Presidentially authorized commissions.

On December 13, 2007 the "New York Times" reported that Kohlmann was appointed to serve as a Chief judge by the Office of Military Commissions.

Ordered Peter Brownback's replacement

On May 29, 2008 an e-mail from Kohlmann announced that a new officer was appointed to replace Peter Brownback.cite news
url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCANASU5290220080530?sp=true
title=Guantanamo judge dismissed in Canadian's case
publisher=Reuters
author=Jane Sutton
date=May 29, 2008
accessdate=2008-05-29
quote=] cite news
url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/551526.html
title=Gitmo judge removed from Canadian's case
publisher=Miami Herald
author=Michael Melia
date=May 29, 2008
accessdate=2008-05-29
quote=] Officials have declined to explain why Brownback was replaced.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed trial

In September 2008, he presided as judge at the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080923/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/guantanamo_sept11_trial;_ylt=AocRbpbPzO3zOxfgdCJKzqxbbBAF Yahoo News article]

ee also

*Guantanamo military commission Presiding Officers

External links

* [http://www.uniset.ca/misc/kohlmann.html "Forum Shoppers Beware the Mismatch Between the Military Tribunal Option and United States National Security Strategy"] , Naval War College paper

References