courts martial and courts of inquiry

Chronicles the events surrounding the court-martial of Johnson Whittaker, an African-American cadet at West Point Military Academy in the 1880s.

Examines the use of military tribunals in the U.S. over the last sixty years. Discusses their tremendous power, and clashes with democratic values, civil liberties, procedural due process, and justice.

Examines the seven-week trial of General William "Billy" Mitchell in 1925 after he criticized the military and the government's national defense policies, particularly in the area of aviation development, and was court-martialed for insubordination.

Offers the first inside account of America's continuing legal experiment at Guantanamo Bay--a permanent, offshore justice system designed to assure convictions by denying constitutional rights.