Washington, D.C. — Monument Legal represents Air Force Major Jason P. Watson. Today, the government preferred court-martial charges against Major Watson. He is charged under three articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Article 88 (contempt toward officials), three specifications; Article 92 (failure to obey), five specifications; and Article 133 (conduct unbecoming an officer), two specifications. No charges have been proven; Major Watson is presumed innocent, and the matter will be decided in the appropriate military court.
Article 88 is a rarely invoked provision, and Major Watson is believed to be among the first officers of his rank charged under it in modern memory. The charges arise from public statements he made concerning what he believes are unconstitutional actions by the President and his Administration, including his belief that the war in Iran violates the Constitution he swore an oath to defend.
This past Sunday, Major Watson was ordered into pretrial confinement, where he remains. Today the charges followed. We intend to defend Major Watson fully — at his confinement and before the military court — and to ensure that his constitutional rights are protected at every stage of these proceedings.
“Major Watson acted knowing the risks to his career and his liberty,” said Christopher J. Mutimer, partner at Monument Legal and counsel for Major Watson. “It is my hope that other Americans who feel powerless in this moment will take some measure of courage from his willingness to speak and to stand by his convictions.”
If Major Watson had one message for everyone watching who is gravely concerned about the state of our democracy, it is this: you are not alone.