General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsVA Prosecutors Not Handing Over Case Of Air Force Officer To Military Authorities
PEMA LEVY 2:53 PM EDT, TUESDAY MAY 7, 2013
Prosecutors in Arlington, Va., will not hand over the case of Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, the Air Force official charged with sexual assault over the weekend, meaning he could be prosecuted in both military and civilian courts, Politico reported Tuesday.
Commonwealths Attorney Theo Stevens told POLITICO on Tuesday afternoon that shed received the Air Forces request to hand over the prosecution of Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, but Stevens said she had told Air Force officials that she would continue to pursue her own case against him. If the service also wants to try to prosecute him on its own, it could.
The fact that Krusinski served as the head of the Air Force's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response unit has brought national attention to the case as well as the epidemic of sexual assault in the Air Force and military more broadly.
###
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/va-prosecutors-not-handing-over-case-of-air
Raine1967
(11,589 posts)Considering how badly the military handles sexual assault cases I say good.
He did this to a woman - a civilian woman -- he should be treated as a civilian.
I live about 10 minutes from where this assault happened. I am 99% sure I know what parking lot it occurred in as well. I hope he goes away for a long time for this.
I used to live there, too.
Raine1967
(11,589 posts)I'm waiting for more details, but looking at the way he looked in his arrest photo, the woman knew how to take care of herself.
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)The rest of time
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)As it looks like he was struck by a person defending herself against his assault. Good for her!
atreides1
(16,046 posts)He commited his crime as a civilian...and should be tried by the civilian authorities.
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)If there is anyone who should have the book thrown at them, it is this prick.
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)I don't think the military is in a place right now to police itself on this matter.
Raine1967
(11,589 posts)Commonwealth's Attorney Theo Stamos, in a phone interview with Patch, said she spoke with Air Force officials on Tuesday and told them that wasn't going to happen.
"It's our prosecution. He's been charged. We have an arraignment set. Our victims services people have reached out to the victim. I don't know why we'd do that," Stamos said.
"It wasn't like it occurred on a military base. It occurred in a civilian setting."
After hearing about the JAG request, Kaine told Air Force officials that prosecutors would have to weigh whether the victim and the accused would receive a fair trial by the military. {snip}
"One of the issues that seems to come up routinely is this belief that the military does not prosecute as much as a local jurisdiction might," Walsh said, according to video of the hearing distributed by Kaine's office.
"The idea that we don't prosecute shouldn't be a concern of the local prosecutor. The idea that we don't convict shouldn't be a concern of (hers), if we can ensure they all have the facts."
Kaine responded: "Arlington is a pro-military community, so it's not going to be a hostile environment. These are the kinds of things that prosecutors wrestle with."
This sorta pisses me off.