West Virginia Code 15-1E-42 – Oaths or affirmations
(a) Before performing their respective duties, military judges, general and special courts-martial members, trial counsel, defense counsel, reporters, and interpreters shall take an oath or affirmation in the presence of the accused to perform their duties faithfully. The form of the oath or affirmation, the time and place of the taking thereof, the manner of recording the same, and whether the oath or affirmation shall be taken for all cases in which these duties are to be performed or for a particular case, shall be as prescribed in regulation or as provided by law. These regulations may provide that an oath or affirmation to perform faithfully the duties as a military judge, trial counsel, or defense counsel may be taken at any time by any judge advocate or other person certified or designated to be qualified or competent for the duty, and if such an oath or affirmation is taken, it need not again be taken at the time the judge advocate or other person is detailed to that duty.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 15-1E-42
- judge advocate: means a commissioned officer of the organized state military forces who is an attorney licensed to practice in this state or is a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of another state, who is admitted pro hac vice to practice in this state, and is any of the following: Certified or designated as a judge advocate in the Judge Advocate General'. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
- military judge: means an official of a general or special court-martial detailed in accordance with section twenty-six of this article. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
- oath: shall be deemed to include an affirmation and the word "swear" or "sworn" to be complied with if the person referred to make solemn affirmation. See West Virginia Code 2-2-7
- Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(b) Each witness before a court-martial shall be examined under oath or affirmation.