The Mayer Law Blog

Interesting Human Interest Article on Ft. Bragg Court-Martial

Posted January 6th, 2014 in Courts-Martial, Military Law

Today, I ran across an interesting human interest story on the court-martial of Brigadier General Sinclair at Ft. Bragg, NC. Taken at face value, it is an interesting look into the human side of the trial and the effect it has had on the parties involved.

Military lawyers continue to watch this unfolding trial with interest, as it poses unique issues on panel selection and presentation of the “good soldier defense.”

The article opens as follows:

With a single star studded on each shoulder of his immaculate dress blues, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair waited his turn to go through the metal detectors at the federal courthouse at Fort Bragg, just like everyone else.

He smiled broadly at one of the armed military police officers posted at the door and asked: “How many jumps do you have?”

The young soldier, wearing the wings of a paratrooper with the elite 82nd Airborne, stood a little straighter as he confidently answered 28. Sinclair nodded in approval, not mentioning the 217 jumps listed in his own log. After a few more pleasantries, Sinclair put his arm around the man and smiled again as another MP snapped a cellphone photo.

The exchange last summer would be routine for a general building rapport with enlisted troops — but for the fact that Sinclair is believed to be the highest-ranking U.S. Army officer ever charged with sexual assault.



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