⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

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United States v. Sherwood E. Reed — CAAF (Oct 6, 2026)

No. 26-0109/AR Argued October 6, 2026 Published October 6, 2026

The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces hears a domestic-violence appeal arising from an assault on a soldier's wife. In December 2023, Reed slapped his wife at their home in Washington. Her niece stepped between them; he pushed her aside and then punched his wife. He pleaded guilty to three domestic-violence allegations, called specifications, and received 180 days of confinement and a bad-conduct discharge. The Army Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed. This appeal concerns specifications four and six, separate convictions for the slap and the punch. Article one-twenty-eight Bravo of the Uniform Code of Military Justice punishes a violent offense against a spouse. The question is whether this conduct counts as one offense or two, the unit of prosecution. Multiplicity concerns unlawful multiple punishment for the same offense. When lawyers say actus reus here, they mean the conduct, the slap or the punch. Reed's lawyer will seek dismissal of one of the convictions, arguing this was one continuous assault. Listen also for whether his guilty plea gave up the challenge to those convictions.

United States v. Sherwood E. Reed (No. 26-0109/AR) — United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, argued October 6, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — CAAF:https://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/newcaaf/CourtAudio13/20261006A.mp3
Argument date, issue and counsel — CAAF official calendar:https://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/calendar/202610.htm
Case facts and defense position — Appellant's brief:https://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/briefs/2026Term/Reed260109AppellantBrief.pdf
Guilty-plea and preservation arguments — Appellant's reply:https://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/briefs/2026Term/Reed260109AppellantReplyBrief.pdf
Case facts and government position — Appellee's brief:https://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/briefs/2026Term/Reed260109AppelleeBrief.pdf
Domestic-violence provision — 10 U.S.C. §928b (2023 Code):https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title10/html/USCODE-2023-title10-subtitleA-partII-chap47-subchapX-sec928b.htm
Multiplicity, charging fairness and lenity — CAAF judicial digest:https://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/newcaaf/digest/VD4.htm

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