(1) Whenever complaint is made to any commanding officer that willful damage has been done to the property of any person or that the person’s property has been wrongfully taken by members of the state military forces, that person may, under such regulations prescribed, convene a board to investigate the complaint. The board shall consist of from one (1) to three (3) commissioned officers and, for the purpose of that investigation, it has power to summon witnesses and examine them upon oath, to receive depositions or other documentary evidence, and to assess the damages sustained against the responsible parties. The assessment of damages made by the board is subject to the approval of the commanding officer, and in the amount approved by that officer shall be charged against the pay of the offenders. The order of such commanding officer directing charges herein authorized is conclusive on any disbursing officer for the payment to the injured parties of the damages so assessed and approved.
(2) If the offenders cannot be ascertained, but the organization or detachment to which they belong is known, charges totaling the amount of damages assessed and approved may be made in such proportion as may be considered just upon the individual members thereof who are shown to have been present at the scene at the time the damages complained of were inflicted, as determined by the approved findings of the board.

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 35.810

  • Commanding officer: includes only commissioned officers of the state military forces and shall include officers in charge only when administering nonjudicial punishment under KRS §. See Kentucky Statutes 35.010
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Military: refers to any or all of the Armed Forces. See Kentucky Statutes 35.010
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Officer: means a commissioned or warrant officer. See Kentucky Statutes 35.010
  • State military forces: means the Kentucky National Guard as defined in Title 32 of the United States Code and as organized under the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. See Kentucky Statutes 35.010

Effective: June 25, 2013
History: Repealed, reenacted, renumbered, and amended 2013 Ky. Acts ch. 32, sec.
143, effective June 25, 2013. — Created 1954 Ky. Acts ch. 99, sec. 78, effective July
1, 1954.
Formerly codified as KRS § 35.395.