Podcasts Government Federal Drive with Tom Temin DoD special trial counsel offices become fully operational, giving more protections to sexual assault victims

DoD special trial counsel offices become fully operational, giving more protections to sexual assault victims

Published: Dec. 29, 2023, 12:51 p.m.

Special victims units are now solely responsible for investigating sexual assault and some other serious crimes, marking a turning point for the military justice system and the way sexual misconduct is handled in the military.\nWithin each military service, Offices of Special Trial Counsel will allow trained lawyers to evaluate and prosecute allegations of sexual assault and other \u201ccovered\u201d offenses independently, taking those cases out of the hands of victims\u2019 commanders.\nSecretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced today that the Offices of Special Trial Counsel are now fully operational, officially shifting away prosecutorial discretion for serious offenses from unit commanders to specially trained military attorneys.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices