"Did the court did have the option of dismissing the charges from the beginning?"
No. The trial must proceed once the appropriate Convening Authority [see Articles 22,23, and 24, UCMJ] determines that the charges meet legal requirements.
See the following references for greater specificity:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/l/blucmj.htm
http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Manual%20For%20Courts-Martial%20United%20States%20(2008%20Edition).pdf
Thanks...
I bow to your expertise...
Thanks for the links!