The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) has added a third committee to its number of federal advisory groups, the Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution, and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces (DAC-IPAD).
This new committee was created in an effort to respond to the number of sexual assault allegations from various members of the military. On December 23, 2016, Former President Barack Obama signed the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was intended to improve prevention training and the reporting process and resolution of sex crimes in the military.
FACA already has two other committees to verse military justices, including the Response Systems to Adult Sexual Assault Crimes Panel (RSP) and the Judicial Proceedings Panel (JPP), both of which were created by NDAA for fiscal year 2013.
DAC-IPAD released its initial report on March 30, 2017, which outlined the scope of how the committee will work and on what it would focus. Its purview will be to advise the U.S. secretary of defense on the investigation, prosecution, and defense of allegations of rape, forcible, sodomy, sexual assault, and other sexual misconduct committed by or involving members of the Armed Forces. It would also submit an annual report to the Secretary of Defense and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives no later than March 30th of each year.
Likewise, the members of the committee have not yet determined what aspects of sexual misconduct it will examine. However, they have resolved to focus exclusively on adult cases, rather than including allegations of sexual misconduct involving children. While some members expressed interest in investigating such allegations, others worried about the privacy concerns that would have to be considered.
Military Criminal Defense Attorney Joseph L. Jordan has been following the recent policy changes regarding sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other sexual misconduct within the United States Armed Forces. Any military service members accused of such crimes or implicated in allegations regarding any criminal misconduct can rely on Attorney Jordan for hard-hitting legal protection backed by many years of experience. Service members at home and stationed abroad can depend on him for the most complex defense cases. He has represented military services members in all manners of military criminal defense cases. If you are on active duty or are a retired military service member who is facing trial by courts martial, you can rely on Attorney Joseph Jordan to protect you, your rights, your reputation, and your rank. Contact his firm at (866) 361-4723 or by filling out the online form today for additional information.
