Protect Our Defenders News Blog

 

Washington Post: Air Force General’s Reversal of Pilot’s Sexual-Assault Conviction Angers Lawmakers

Craig Whitlock reports for The Washington Post on Protect Our Defenders Honorary Chair Rep. Jackie Speier:

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said she would introduce a bill next week to strip commanders of their power to overturn legal decisions or reduce sentences imposed by military judges and juries. Such actions, she said, “make a mockery of the entire legal system.” … “The laws that are on the books . . . are so antiquated and so rigged in favor of the assailant that frankly it’s no wonder someone won’t report” a sex crime, Speier said in an interview.

Read the full article.