General Accused of Sexual Assault Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charges

[DonViejo]

Source: New York Times

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, the Army general prosecuted in the military’s most significant sexual assault case, has agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges in exchange for the dismissal of accusations that he twice forced his longtime mistress into oral sex, threatened to kill her and her family, and performed consensual sexual acts with her in a parked car in Germany and on a hotel balcony in Tucson.

The new guilty pleas, outlined in a document obtained by The New York Times, are expected to be entered by General Sinclair in military court at Fort Bragg, N.C., as soon as Monday morning.

The pleas would end a two-year-old case against one of the military’s rising stars that was derailed after setbacks, including a judge’s ruling last week that cleared the way for a plea deal.

The general’s punishment will not be determined until a judge finishes holding a sentencing hearing; prosecutors are expected to argue for prison time, while defense lawyers will contend that officers in similar cases have not faced jail time and have been allowed to retire at reduced rank.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/17/us/army-general-in-sexual-assault-case-to-plead-guilty-to-lesser-charges.html?emc=edit_na_20140316

[rocktivity]

1. "Defense lawyers will contend that officers in similar cases have not faced jail time

and have been allowed to retire at reduced rank."

Well, maybe the threat of jail time and/or a dishonorable discharge would REDUCE the number of "similar cases."

Set a precedent and make an example of him, even if for only a few years.


rocktivity

[iandhr]

2. Though I agree with you 100%

The article said the chief prosecution witness may "have lied under oath at a pretrial hearing." will make it a big challenge.

[Ash_F]

3. Will not be required to register as a sex offender.

The military sure does a good job of policing itself.

[Tx4obama]

4. Kick n/t

[olddad56]

5. if this pig was a sargent rather than a general, he's be looking at 20 years.

[TxVietVet]

6. You got that right!

The military's legal system is called "The US Military Code of Injustice". There are rules for the workers and a separate set of rules for the rulers.

[Lurks Often]

7. Since the prosecution's chief witness lied during the pre-trial hearing

AND the "senior Army commander overseeing the case may have been wrongly influenced by political considerations when he rejected the general’s earlier offer to resolve the charges by pleading guilty to lesser counts." according to the judge presiding over the case. That makes it seem that a conviction would have been difficult to get and the plea bargain is the best they can get.

Personally I think, if the allegations are true, he should be reduced in rank to private and spend the next 20-30 years in Leavenworth

[freshwest]

8. Link says he'll retire with $1M less in total than he expected. Nice gig you got there, ol' boy:

Defense lawyers say General Sinclair is willing to retire as a lieutenant colonel - two rungs below his current rank, and the last rank that he served during which he is not accused of any illegal acts - which would probably cost him more than $1 million in total retirement pay.



He likely did more than this, that he won't be charged for, if you read the link all the way. There is a pattern.

Meanwhile, other soldiers lose benefits due to the GOP vote, but this sex offender won't suffer, other than his giant ego.

When he's drawing his public retirement, a private contractor will greet him with open arms. Or some corporation will hire him to manage 'hospitality' for them somewhere.



At least he's getting the public flogging he deserves. For five minutes. And then the money will keep on rolling, and he'll be laughing at all of us.