Independent prosecutor possible for military sexual misconduct cases
- By FederalSoup Staff
- Feb 23, 2021
In response to years of frustration over the Defense Department’s handling of sexual assault cases, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee is considering making a major change to its legal framework, the
Military Times reports.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee told reporters at a Feb. 24 event, that the possibility of establishing an independent prosecutor to handle all sex crimes in the military is on the table, which would be a significant change to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the article notes.
According to the report, military leaders have objected to the idea, contending it would upend the current chain of command and remove the responsibility of addressing the issue from unit leaders, which is exactly what supporters of the change prefer, noting that an outside prosecutor would be more impartial.