Nationality USA Occupation lawyer, Captain (USN) | Name Moira Modzelewski Role Lawyer | |
Known for Presiding over a Guantanamo military commission | ||
Moira Dempsey Modzelewski is an American lawyer and Captain in the United States Navy. She is currently Chief Judge of the Navy and one of four Assistant Judge Advocates General. Modzelewski is notable for her appointment to serve as the Presiding Officer over Noor Uthman Muhammaed's Guantanamo military commission.
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Teaching career
Modzelewski taught English at Szechuan University after earning her bachelor's degree, in 1980. This was shortly after China and the United States re-opened diplomatic relations.
In 1989 Modzelewski was an Assistant Professor at the United States Naval Academy.
In 1995-96 Modzelewski opened the detachment of the Naval Justice School in Norfolk.
Legal career
All of Modzelewski's legal career has been in the United States Navy. In addition to her teaching postings she has served as a lawyer or administrator of legal services in over a half dozen posts.
In 2009 she presided over the courts-martial of Navy SEALs from SEAL team 10 who were charged with beating an Iraqi captive.
She was subsequently appointed was to serve as a Presiding Officer in Guantanamo. In April 2010 she predicted she would require a year to review the secret evidence against Noor Uthman Muhammaed.
Modzelewski joined the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals in 2011 and became its Chief Judge on 6 August 2013. She was appointed Chief Judge of the Navy after the retirement of Christian L. Reismeier on 1 July 2015.