Support for Senator Gillibrand’s approach is building. Far from stripping commanders of accountability, as some critics have suggested, removing prosecution decisions in sexual assault and other serious crimes from the chain of command would not undermine discipline or end commanders’ responsibility to set the proper climate.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/opinion/broken-military-justice.html?_r=0
Is the chain of command interfering with justice in military sexual assault cases?
In the military, the chain of command is the foundation of discipline and order, but in recent months, legislators and many members of the military have become concerned that it’s become an obstacle to prosecuting claims of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Opponents of the current system think it intimidates victims from bringing claims to senior officers, while proponents see the military’s system as more than adequate in ensuring a fair process.
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has been building support for her proposed legislation which would remove commanding officers from being the final arbiter of sexual harassment and assault cases, but opponents argue that the current system insures trials that are fair and balanced.
How important is preserving the chain of command? And should sexual assault cases be held to different criteria in military courts?
Listen here: http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2013/09/23/33845/is-the-chain-of-command-interfering-with-justice-i/
Naval Academy superintendent doesn’t have to recuse himself from sexual assault case
A federal judge on Monday denied an attempt to force the superintendent of the Naval Academy to recuse himself from a case of alleged sexual assault by three former Navy football players.
The victim of the alleged assault — a 21-year-old female midshipman — had filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction that would require the academy’s superintendent, Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller, to give up authority over the case. Miller is responsible for deciding whether the three accused midshipmen should face courts-martial, the military equivalent of trials.
Judge declines to require Naval Academy superintendent to recuse himself in sex assault case
BALTIMORE — A federal judge on Monday declined to order the U.S. Naval Academy superintendent to recuse himself from deciding whether three midshipmen face a court-martial in a sexual assault case.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander said she could not find precedent for a federal court to interfere with a pending investigation in military court.
Read more: http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/a13afd477169454194bfc8cefed76630/US-Naval-Academy-Sexual-Assault
Military high court to hear HIV exposure case
WICHITA, Kan. — The highest court for the U.S. armed forces has agreed to hear the appeal of a Kansas airman convicted of assault for exposing multiple sex partners to HIV at swinger parties in Wichita, his attorney said Friday.
Report Done on Navy Academy Sexual Assault Case
ANNAPOLIS, MD. — An investigative officer who presided at a hearing to help decide whether three midshipmen should face court-martial over a sexual assault allegation has forwarded his recommendations to the school’s superintendent, the academy’s spokesman said Monday.
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Releases Annual Statutory Report on Sexual Assault in the Military
The United States Commission on Civil Rights has released its 2013 statutory enforcement report, “Sexual Assault in the Military.” The Commission releases a statutory report annually on a topic of great significance for civil rights in America. The purpose of this year’s report was to examine how the Department of Defense and its Armed Services – the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force – respond to Service members who are victims of, or accused of perpetrating, sexual assault. This topic is of significance and timely, as Congress is considering ways to address the issue.
Read more: http://pr-bg.com/content/view/40411/78/
Programs To Assist Victims Of Military Sexual Assault Remain Running During Shutdown
Offices across the federal government remain shuttered for a second week, but doors remain open to victims of sexual assault in the military amid the estimated 26,000 incidents that occur throughout the system each year.
Navy chaplains to receive more training on sexual abuse
ST. LOUIS (RNS) Kristen Leslie began her 2003 book, “When Violence Is No Stranger,” with a verse from Psalms, a nod to her training as a theologian.
“It is not enemies who taunt me — I could bear that; it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me — I could hide from them. But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend…”
Read more: http://www.religionnews.com/2013/10/07/navy-chaplains-to-receive-more-training-on-sexual-abuse/
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 