Democratic lawmakers tell military to refuse illegal orders
7 News Denver November 21, 2025
Military Defense Lawyer Weighs In
As the backlash turns ugly, Denver7 spoke with a military defense attorney about the video and response.
Joseph Jordan served in the U.S. Army as a soldier, officer and judge advocate. He founded his law firm in 2011 and specializes in defending service members under investigation.
“Frankly, I think both sides are acting extraordinarily immature,” Jordan said of the political rhetoric around the issue.
Jordan, however, argues the Democrats’ decision to initially put out the video was “dangerous” and “irresponsible.”
“They are directly affecting good order and discipline in a very adverse way,” he said. “We spend an exorbitant amount of time teaching service members on what is lawful and what isn’t.”
The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) outlines rules and regulations for service members. It says service members must obey orders, unless they are “patently illegal,” such as one that “directs the commission of a crime.”
The code also bans orders that “without such a valid military purpose, interfere with private rights or personal affairs.”
But the code says those who disobey orders risk facing a court martial, and that a military judge is the one to decide if an order is lawful or not.
“Lawful orders are determined by law through an objective standard, not a subjective standard,” Jordan told Denver7. “You have to execute the orders that are given to you, and those orders are lawful. And there’s a very limited amount of time when they’re not.”
Jordan sees the Trump administration’s current use of the military as lawful, and, “If you don’t think it should be lawful, then you need to get out and vote and change it.”
See full, original Denver 7 report here:
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