Army Sexual Assault Lawyer Accused of Sexual Assault

[Tx4obama]

Army Sexual Assault Lawyer Accused of Sexual Assault

Just as two separate bills that address the issue of sexual assault in the military are set to be voted on in the Senate today, allegations against an Army lawyer in charge of prosecuting such assaults illustrates just how byzantine and troublesome the structural apparatus for dealing with this very real problem is.

As Stars and Stripes reports, Lt. Col. Joseph “Jay” Morse, supervisors for the Army’s special victim prosecutors, has been suspended after allegations surfaced that he himself groped a lawyer under his supervision. At a legal conference on sexual assault.

Not good.

Sources told Stars and Stripes that the female Army lawyer alleged that Morse attempted to kiss and grope her against her will. The alleged assault reportedly took place in a hotel room at a 2011 sexual assault legal conference attended by special victims prosecutors in Alexandria, Va., before he was appointed as chief of the Trial Counsel Assistance Program.

An Army official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter confirmed an investigation was under way.

“We can confirm that this matter is currently under investigation and that the individual in question has been suspended from duties pending the outcome of the investigation,” the official said. “Given that this is still an open case, we are precluded from providing any additional information at this point.”

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.mediaite.com/online/army-sexual-assault-lawyer-accused-of-sexual-assault/

[bettyellen]

1. he is the top prosecuter- assaulted someone at a conference about assault? WTFingF?

[qazplm]

4. this is an allegation

not a conviction.

[bettyellen]

6. yeah, and they are taking it seriously.

[joeybee12]

2. The Onion? Oh wait...shit...

[mythology]

3. How bloody hard is it to keep your hands to yourself?

I'm a guy and I've never groped a woman against her will. I really don't think I'm particularly special for that.

If this is found to be true, I hope the blithering idiot has the proverbial book thrown at him. Additionally any cases that he decided didn't merit pursuing should be revisited in light of this.

But I'm glad the woman he is alleged to have assaulted had the courage to come forward. Given the structure of the military and that this guy was in his position must have made that hard. And this sort of thing just further discourages women from coming forward.

Sadly the Gillibrand sexual assault bill was blocked today.

[msanthrope]

5. Fox guarding the henhouse.... nt