Protect Our Defenders News Blog

 

Military Sex Assault Trial Showcases 2 Approaches to Prosecution

The New York Times reports:

As one major battle over sexual assault in the military plays out in North Carolina this week, another is set to unfold in Washington.

At Fort Bragg, Army prosecutors will try to prove that Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair forced his lover, a junior officer, to perform fellatio, and threatened to kill her and her family if she revealed their relationship.

Defense lawyers will argue that the sex was consensual, that text messages show she pursued the general, and that she fabricated the assault claims to avoid being prosecuted for adultery. They also contend that the chief prosecutor’s abrupt resignation last month, after he tried to persuade commanders to drop the most serious charges, is evidence that senior officers may have illegally sought to influence the case.

Read more here.