The United States of America has charged Guantanamo captives before "Military Commissions"

Guantanamo military commission

The Guantanamo military commissions are military tribunals created by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 for prosecuting detainees held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps.- History :...

, each presided over by a Presiding Officer.

The Presiding Officer were initially to serve as the first among equals on bodies were the commission members served the roles similar to both judge and jury.

In the first version of the Military Commissions the Presiding Officer was to be the only member of the Commission who was a lawyer. So the Presiding Officer would be making all the ruling similar to the rulings on points of law that a judge makes in courts of law. But the Presiding Officer would also be voting on the suspect's guilt or innocence -- unlike in a jury trial.

The Commission system was extensively reformed in the summer of 2004. Several of the original Commission members of the first Commission were retired, because of their inherent bias. The structure of the Commissions were changed, so that the Presiding Officer would no long vote on the suspect's guilt. In the summer of 2005 leaked memos were published that revealsed that prior to the reorganization the first Chief Prosecutor, Fred Borch

Fred Borch

Colonel Frederic L. Borch is a former military attorney who served as Chief Prosecutor of the Guantanamo military commissions before he was replaced by Robert L. Swann after it was alleged that Borch was trying to corrupt the commissions.-Background:...

, promised his subordinates that only officers who could be counted on to convict suspects would be chose as Commission members, and that Prosecutors would not have to worry about exculpatory evidence -- as it would all be classified so it could be withheld from the suspect's attorneys on National Security grounds.

Peter Brownback

Peter Brownback

Peter E. Brownback III is a retired military officer and lawyer.He was appointed to be a Presiding Officer on the Guantanamo military commissions, by retired general John D. Altenburg....

 -- the first Presiding Officer, was unexpectedly replaced in the summer of 2008.
Critics speculated that he had been fired because he kept trying to force Omar Khadr

Omar Khadr

Omar Ahmed Khadr is a Canadian child soldier and one of the juveniles held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He was convicted of five charges under the United States Military Commissions Act of 2009 including murder in violation of the law of war and providing material support for terrorism,...

's prosecution to release evidence to Khadr's Defense attorneys.

List of Presiding Officers and suspects

Guantanamo military commission Presiding Officers

rank	officer	service	case(s)	notes
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	Peter Brownback Peter Brownback Peter E. Brownback III is a retired military officer and lawyer.He was appointed to be a Presiding Officer on the Guantanamo military commissions, by retired general John D. Altenburg....	United States Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Captain Captain (naval) Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....	Keith J. Allred Keith J. Allred -Early Life and Career:Allred entered the Navy in 1979. He received his juris doctorate in 1985 from the University of Washington. He served in the U.S...	United States Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	W. Thomas Cumbie W. Thomas Cumbie W. Thomas Cumbie is a senior judge in the United States Air Force.Cumbie is the United States Air Force's Chief Regional Military Judge, for the Atlantic Region.Cumbie graduated from the law school of Florida State University in 1982....	United States Air Force United States Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	Ronald A. Gregory Ronald A. Gregory Ronald A. Gregory is an officer in the United States Air Force.-Education:-Military career:In 1983 Gregory became an officer through direct appointment after a year of private practice.In 1993 Gregory became an officer in the Air Force Reserves...	United States Air Force United States Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	Ralph H. Kohlmann Ralph H. Kohlmann Ralph H. Kohlmann is an American lawyer and officer in the United States Marine Corps.-Education:-Military career:For his first seven years as an officer Kohlmann served as a combat engineer.He switched to the Judge Advocate General Corps in 1987....	United States Marine Corps United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...	Nancy J. Paul Nancy J. Paul -Education:-Military career:Paul received a direct commission into the United States Air Force as a Judge Advocate General in 1988.Lieutenant Colonel Paul is notable for her appointment as a Presiding Officer for a Guantanamo military commission....	United States Marine Corps United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	James L. Pohl James L. Pohl Colonel James L. Pohl is an American lawyer and an officer in the United States Army.He is notable for having been appointed the President of a Guantanamo military commission.He is Presiding over the Commission of Ahmed Darbi and Abd el-Rahim al-Nashiri....	United States Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	Robert Chester Robert Chester Robert Chester is a military officer and lawyer. Chester is a Colonel in the United States Marine Corps.Chester has recently been appointed to serve as President of the Guantanamo military commission faced by Omar Khadr....	United States Marine Corps United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	Steven David Steven David (Judge) Steven David is the 106th Justice of the Supreme Court of Indiana. David previously served as a lawyer and military officer, retiring from the United States Army Reserve in September, 2010 with the rank of Colonel.-Biography:...	United States Army Reserve United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	Patrick Parrish Patrick Parrish Patrick Parrish is an officer in the United States Army.-Case of William J. Kreutzer Jr:ColonelParrish presided over the case of Sergeant William J...	United States Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Captain Captain (naval) Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....	Moira Modzelewski Moira Modzelewski Moira Modzelewski is an American lawyer and Captain in the United States Navy.Modzelewski is notable for her appointment to serve as thePresiding Officerover Noor Uthman Muhammaed's Guantanamo military commission.-Education:-Teaching career:...	United States Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...	Raymond Eugene Beal II	United States Marine Corps United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...	Stephen R. Henley Stephen R. Henley Colonel Stephen R. Henley is an American lawyer and an officer in the United States Army.He is notable for having been appointed the President of a Guantanamo military commission.-President of a Guantanamo military commission:...	United States Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Captain Captain (naval) Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....	Bruce W. Mackenzie Bruce W. Mackenzie Captain Bruce W. Mackenzie is a lawyer and military officer in the United States Navy.He was appointed a Presiding Officer in the Guantanamo Military Commissions....	United States Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...