Brig. Gen. Jeffery A. Sinclair faced military trial Tuesday on charges of sexual assault against an Army captain.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the now 34-year-old accuser made the allegations against the general in March 2012. She claims that the affair started when she was 29 years old.
Although the three-year relationship between the two was consensual, she accuses Sinclair of forcing her to partake in oral sex and threatening to harm her family.
Sinclair, a married man and father of two, denies the captain’s accusations and says the relationship was mutual. He also made it clear that he never made such threats as she claims.
Defense attorney Richard L. Scheff found that part of the accuser’s testimony surrounding the details of cell phone evidence was unlikely the truth. He’s determined that she may have lied on stand and perjured herself during January’s trial hearing.
To Scheff, this gives the Army more of a reason to lessen the charges against the 27-year veteran.(image)
Still, he emphasizes how much his client will not be able to receive a fair trial due to “unlawful command influence” within the Army and the Obama administration’s intolerance regarding sex offenders.
The Los Angeles Times reported how:
“The defense accuses the Army chain of command of pursuing the most serious charges to demonstrate that the military is getting tough on accused sex offenders — even though senior commanders have concluded that Sinclair’s accuser lied.”
Former prosecutor Lt. Col. William Helixon would probably agree with Scheff’s argument. The lieutenant withdrew from the case in February due to personal feelings towards the charges against Sinclair, who he refers to as “a hero.”
According to Scheff, Helixon felt that the Army was unethically pushing the case forward, so he is now a witness on the defense team in favor of Sinclair.
The new prosecutor, Lt. Col. Robert C. Stelle, believes that the accuser’s testimony does conflict with the evidence shown. However, he continues to stand on the fact that the captain is telling the truth about everything else that occurred.
Furthermore, Sinclair also faces additional charges, which include “adultery, pressuring two other female officers to send him nude photos, possessing alcohol and pornography in a war zone, and abusing his government charge card to pursue liaisons with the captain.”
The general has pleaded guilty to reduced charges of adultery and misconduct of an officer.
If convicted he could face life in prison.
Image via YouTube