MSNBC: Naval Academy sexual assault hearing underscores flaws in system
Taryn Meeks, Protect Our Defenders Executive Director is featured in this MSNBC article:
Article 32 hearings are used to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a court martial. Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller, the superintendent of the Naval Academy, decided in June that the Eric Graham, Tra’ves Bush, and Josh Tate should face charges. Commander Robert Monahan Jr., the hearing’s investigating officer, heard more than 20 hours of testimony testimony from the alleged victim and will review more than 1,500 pages of documents.
“The Article 32 process is yet another example of the broken military justice system,” Taryn Meeks, a former Navy Judge Advocate General lawyer and Executive Director of Protect Our Defenders, said to MSNBC. “It’s a traumatic experience where the survivor is subject to cross-examination for hours or even days. Article 32 gives defense counsel almost unfettered access to the victim which often re-victimizes that person, and can significantly undermine their shot at getting justice.”
