WASHINGTON -- 03/06/2014 -- Following a months-long, emotionally-charged showdown between Democratic Sens. Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) over their competing proposals to curb military sexual assault, Gillibrand's bill to remove sexual assault cases from the chain of command failed to get the 60 votes it needed to overcome a filibuster.Gillibrand's proposal to take the decision to prosecute military sexual assault cases out of commanders' hands and charge it to independent military lawyers had majority support in the Senate and would have passed if it had gone to an up-or-down vote. But the motion to proceed to the vote needed 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and it received only 55. The aye votes included Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and, surprisingly, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
"Today, a minority of senators used procedural tactics to quash the will of a majority of the Senate," said retired Capt. Lory Manning, senior policy fellow for the Service Women's Action Network, a veteran advocacy group. "To this small fraction of lawmakers we say: today's disappointment is merely a detour in our march to justice. We will not stop fighting for military sexual assault survivors until service members receive the justice they deserve." read more>>>
March 6, 2014 - Lt. Col. Joseph “Jay” Morse, the Army prosecutor in charge of nearly two dozen prosecutors specializing in sexual assault and other sensitive cases, was recently suspended for allegedly assaulting a lawyer working with him two years ago.News of Morse’s suspension broke in Stars and Stripes on Thursday morning. In addition to being in charge of the Army’s special victims prosecutors, Morse was — until his recently — responsible for Army prosecutorial training and assistance worldwide. According to Stars and Stripes, the alleged incident occurred two years ago between a female Army lawyer and Morse, who “attempted to kiss and grope her against her will.” Making matters all the worse, the assault allegedly occurred during a sexual-assault legal conference. read more>>>
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- March 6, 2014 -- A U.S. Army general accused of sexual assault pleaded guilty to three lesser charges Thursday, hoping his admission will strengthen his case by limiting some of the salacious evidence against him.Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair is accused of forcing a female captain to twice perform oral sex and threatening to kill her family if she told anyone about their three-year affair. read more>>>
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