Neb. Rev. Stat. § 55-416 — NE Code / Chapter 55 / Section 55-416
View Statute 55-416
Status: in_force

(1) Under such regulations as the Governor may prescribe, limitations may be placed on the powers granted by this section with respect to the kind and amount of punishment authorized, the categories of commanding officers and warrant officers exercising command authorized to exercise those powers, the applicability of the code to an accused who demands trial by court-martial, but punishment may not be imposed upon any member of the military forces under this section if the member has, before the imposition of such punishment, demanded trial by court-martial in lieu of such punishment. Under similar regulations, rules may be prescribed with respect to the suspension of punishments authorized hereunder.

(2) Subject to subsection (1) of this section, any commanding officer may, in addition to or in lieu of admonition or reprimand, impose one or more of the following disciplinary punishments for minor offenses without the intervention of a court-martial:

(a) Upon officers of his or her command:

(i) Restriction to certain specified limits, with or without suspension from duty, for not more than ten consecutive days; or

(ii) If imposed by a general officer in command, arrest in quarters for not more than fourteen consecutive days; forfeiture of not more than one-half of one month's pay per month for two months; restriction to certain specified limits, with or without suspension from duty, for not more than fourteen consecutive days; or detention of not more than one-half of one month's pay per month for three months; and

(b) Upon other personnel of his or her command:

(i) Correctional custody for not more than seven consecutive days;

(ii) Forfeiture of not more than seven days' pay;

(iii) Reduction to the next inferior pay grade, if the grade from which demoted is within the promotion authority of the officer imposing the reduction or any officer subordinate to the one who imposes the reduction;

(iv) Extra duties, including fatigue or other duties, for not more than ten consecutive days;

(v) Restriction to certain specified limits, with or without suspension from duty, for not more than ten consecutive days;

(vi) Detention of not more than fourteen days' pay; or

(vii) If imposed by an officer of the grade of major or above, correctional custody for not more than fourteen consecutive days; forfeiture of not more than one-half of one month's pay per month for two months; reduction to the lowest or any intermediate pay grade, if the grade from which demoted is within the promotion authority of the officer imposing the reduction or any officer subordinate to the one who imposes the reduction, but an enlisted member in a pay grade above E-4 may not be reduced more than two pay grades; extra duties, including fatigue or other duties, for not more than fourteen consecutive days; restrictions to certain specified limits, with or without suspension from duty, for not more than fourteen consecutive days; or detention of not more than one-half of one month's pay per month for three months.

Detention of pay shall be for a stated period, but if the offender's term of service expires earlier, the detention shall terminate upon that expiration. No two or more of the punishments of arrest in quarters, correctional custody, extra duties, and restriction may be combined to run consecutively in the maximum amount imposable for each. Whenever any of those punishments are combined to run consecutively, there must be an apportionment. In addition, forfeiture of pay may not be combined with detention of pay without an apportionment. For the purposes of this subsection, correctional custody is the physical restraint of a person during duty or nonduty hours and may include extra duties, fatigue duties, or hard labor. If practicable, correctional custody will not be served in immediate association with persons awaiting trial or held in confinement pursuant to trial by court-martial.

(3) An officer in charge may impose upon enlisted members assigned to the unit of which he or she is in charge such of the punishments authorized under subsection (2)(b) of this section as the Governor may specifically prescribe by regulation.

(4) The officer who imposes the punishment authorized in subsection (2) of this section, or his or her successor in command, may, at any time, suspend probationally any part or amount of the unexecuted punishment imposed and may suspend probationally a reduction in grade or a forfeiture imposed under subsection (2) of this section, whether or not executed. In addition, he or she may, at any time, remit or mitigate any part or amount of the unexecuted punishment imposed and may set aside in whole or in part the punishment, whether executed or unexecuted, and restore all rights, privileges, and property affected. He or she may also mitigate reduction in grade to forfeiture or detention of pay. When mitigating:

(a) Arrest in quarters to restriction;

(b) Confinement on bread and water or diminished rations to correctional custody;

(c) Correctional custody or confinement on bread and water or diminished rations to extra duties or restriction, or both; or

(d) Extra duties to restriction, the mitigated punishment shall not be for a greater period than the punishment mitigated. When mitigating forfeiture of pay to detention of pay, the amount of the detention shall not be greater than the amount of the forfeiture. When mitigating reduction in grade to forfeiture or detention of pay, the amount of the forfeiture or detention shall not be greater than the amount that could have been imposed initially under this section by the officer who imposed the punishment mitigated.

(5) A person punished under this section who considers his or her punishment unjust or disproportionate to the offense may, through the proper channel, appeal to the next superior authority. The appeal shall be promptly forwarded and decided, but the person punished may in the meantime be required to undergo the punishment adjudged. The superior authority may exercise the same powers with respect to the punishment imposed as may be exercised under subsection (4) of this section by the officer who imposed the punishment. Before acting on an appeal from a punishment of:

(a) Arrest in quarters for more than seven days;

(b) Correctional custody for more than seven days;

(c) Forfeiture of more than seven days' pay;

(d) Reduction of one or more pay grades from the fourth or a higher pay grade;

(e) Extra duties for more than ten days;

(f) Restriction for more than ten days; or

(g) Detention of more than fourteen days' pay, the authority who is to act on the appeal shall refer the case to a judge advocate for consideration and advice, and may so refer the case upon appeal from any punishment imposed under subsection (2) of this section.

(6) The imposition and enforcement of disciplinary punishment under this section for any act or omission is not a bar to trial by court-martial for a serious crime or offense growing out of the same act or omission, and not properly punishable under this section; but the fact that a disciplinary punishment has been enforced may be shown by the accused upon trial, and when so shown shall be considered in determining the measure of punishment to be adjudged in the event of a finding of guilty.

(7) The Governor may, by regulation, prescribe the form of records to be kept of proceedings under this section and may also prescribe that certain categories of those proceedings shall be in writing.

(8) Any punishment authorized by this section which is measured in terms of days shall, when served in a status other than annual field training, be construed to mean consecutive active service days.

Laws 1969, c. 458, § 16, p. 1557;

Laws 2016, LB754, § 9.