Thursday, October 31, 2013

Globe Grab Bag: Halloween Party

Have fun!

"Midshipmen in rape case face US Navy court-martial" New York Times,  October 11, 2013

WASHINGTON — Two former Naval Academy football players accused of raping a female midshipman at an off-campus party face court-martial proceedings, in the latest in a string of high-profile sexual assault cases in the military that have drawn scrutiny from the Pentagon and Congress.

The case stems from a 2012 “yoga and toga” party near the academy in Annapolis, Md., where the woman, then a 20-year-old second-year student, arrived intoxicated and had sex with some players.

In grueling testimony last month during a hearing at the Washington Navy Yard, she said she had no memory of parts of the evening and might have passed out.

The next day, the woman testified, she heard via social media of the encounters with the three players, who were charged with sexually assaulting her and making false statements....

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"Accused midshipman alleges bias in Naval Academy sex case" by Brian Witte |  Associated Press, October 17, 2013

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A lawyer for a US Naval Academy student accused of sexual assault is asking a federal judge to remove the school’s superintendent from the case out of concern that he could be biased from political pressure because of the heightened focus on sexual assault in the military.

Jason Ehrenberg, a lawyer for Midshipman Josh Tate, wrote in a court filing submitted Tuesday night that a bias on the part of Vice Admiral Michael Miller could affect how he chooses who will serve on a court-martial panel that will decide his client’s guilt or innocence. Ehrenberg noted that the superintendent decided to refer the case to a court-martial despite recommendations from an investigating officer and Miller’s counsel not to do so after an Article 32 hearing. The hearing resembles a preliminary hearing in civilian court.

Ehrenberg wrote that the allegations against Tate ‘‘arise within a turbulent political environment,’’ because the military has been under a spotlight concerning its treatment of sexual assault cases.

Meanwhile, Eric Graham, a second midshipman who has been referred to a court-martial by the superintendent, had an arraignment at the Washington Navy Yard on Wednesday. Graham’s lawyer, Ronald Herrington, said he will plead not guilty to all charges. Herrington also expressed concern about the superintendent’s role in the court-martial process.

The accused are former Navy football players. The case stems from an off-campus party in Annapolis in April 2012 at a house that was used by members of the football team. The woman in the case initially did not want to pursue charges. The woman, also a midshipman, had been drinking heavily on the night of the party. She testified she had no memory of being assaulted and heard secondhand that several people had sex with her at the party.

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Also see: AmeriKan Military Bans Sex Magazines