THURSDAY: Lawmakers Joined By Service Members Victimized By Sexual Assault To Announce Bicameral Legislation Reforming Military Justice System

MEDIA ADVISORY
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Contact: Bethany Lesser (202) 224-3873 

GILLIBRAND, COLLINS, BOXER, JOHANNS, BENISHEK, GABBARD, BEGICH, BLUMENTHAL, COONS, FRANKEN, HIRONO, SINEMA, JOINED BY MALE AND FEMALE SERVICE MEMBERS VICTIMIZED BY SEXUAL ASSAULT TO ANNOUNCE BICAMERAL LEGISLATION REFORMING MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM 

Bipartisan Senate-House Bill Creates Transformational Change Needed for Real Accountability In Military Justice System by Removing the Chain of Command From Decision Making Over Whether Serious Crimes Are Prosecuted, Also Reforms Article 60 So Commanders Cannot Overturn Jury Verdicts for Serious Crimes 

According to DOD Estimates, More Than 26,000 Incidents of Sexual Assault or Unwanted Sexual Contact occurred in 2012; Overall Reports Increased 37%; Sexual Assault Crimes  Increased 6% to 3,374 Reports Only 238 Convictions

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Representatives Dan Benishek (R-MI) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Senators Mark Begich (D-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Al Franken (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Representative Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)  will be joined TOMORROW, THURSDAY MAY 16^TH at 10:30amby male and female victims of sexual assault in the military and organizations who assist victims of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) to announce new bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would reform the military justice system by removing the prosecution of all crimes punishable by one year or more in confinement from the chain of command, except crimes that are uniquely military in nature, such as disobeying orders or going Absent Without Leave.

This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would for the first time remove the decision whether to take a case to trial or general court-martial completely out of the chain of command and give that discretion to experienced trial counsel with prosecutorial experience with a pay grade of O-6 (Colonel or Navy Captain), or higher. The legislation also codifies Secretary Hagel’s proposed changes to the UCMJ’s Article 60.

WHO:

• ·         Senators Gillibrand (D-NY), Collins (R-ME), Boxer (D-CA), Johanns (R-NE), Begich (D-AK), Blumenthal (D-CT), Coons (D-DE), Franken (D-MN), Hirono (D-HI)
• ·         Representatives Benishek (R-MI), Gabbard (D-HI), Sinema (D-AZ),
• ·         Representatives from Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Protect our Defenders
• ·         Male and Female Victims of Sexual Assault in the Military

WHEN:          Thursday, May 16^th at 10:30am

WHERE:        Russell Senate Office Building, Room 301

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