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Trial for Army general facing sex charges delayed after accuser finds phone
The trial for Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair was scheduled to begin at Fort Bragg on Jan. 7. In a news release Thursday, the Army said military Judge Col. James Pohl has rescheduled the court-martial to begin March 3 so prosecutors and defense lawyers can complete further pre-trial discovery.
The discovery evidence centers on a collection of four mobile phones that belong to Sinclair’s main accuser, which she recently reported to her attorney, according to Pohl’s Dec. 15 ruling to allow the continuance. One of these, an iPhone, contains voice mails from Sinclair and text messages between Sinclair and the woman.....“Obviously, these devices should either have been seized or disclosed 20 months ago,” said Sinclair’s attorney, Richard Scheff. “That this disclosure comes on the very eve of trial is a remarkable development and raises significant questions that the defense wants answers to. We’re very grateful to the prosecution and [Pohl] for the fair and even-handed way in which they have handled this revelation.”
Other text message exchanges in evidence between Sinclair and the woman, a former subordinate in the 82nd Airborne Division with whom he was having a three-year affair, have been central to the case.
The Sinclair’s attorneys and the prosecution agree the general and his subordinate carried on an affair, though defense attorneys argue the steamy text messages — including one in which she referred to him as “papa panda sexy pants” — indicate the relationship was consensual. Prosecutors also allege Sinclair also forced the woman to perform oral sex on him.....
The discovery evidence centers on a collection of four mobile phones that belong to Sinclair’s main accuser, which she recently reported to her attorney, according to Pohl’s Dec. 15 ruling to allow the continuance. One of these, an iPhone, contains voice mails from Sinclair and text messages between Sinclair and the woman.....“Obviously, these devices should either have been seized or disclosed 20 months ago,” said Sinclair’s attorney, Richard Scheff. “That this disclosure comes on the very eve of trial is a remarkable development and raises significant questions that the defense wants answers to. We’re very grateful to the prosecution and [Pohl] for the fair and even-handed way in which they have handled this revelation.”
Other text message exchanges in evidence between Sinclair and the woman, a former subordinate in the 82nd Airborne Division with whom he was having a three-year affair, have been central to the case.
The Sinclair’s attorneys and the prosecution agree the general and his subordinate carried on an affair, though defense attorneys argue the steamy text messages — including one in which she referred to him as “papa panda sexy pants” — indicate the relationship was consensual. Prosecutors also allege Sinclair also forced the woman to perform oral sex on him.....
http://www.armytimes.com/article/20131219/NEWS06/312190008/Trial-Army-general-facing-sex-charges-delayed-after-accuser-finds-phone
