A Coastguardsman who was administratively discharged after having been indicted by s federal grand jury in Florida has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to having convinced a 13-year-old girl to send him lewd photographs of herself to his cell phone. Details here. He could have been tried by court-martial prior to his discharge. Why wasn't he?
Personal view, but in this case at the centre there is a 13 year old victim. My view is any crime committed that has a civilian victim, is best served in a civilian court.
ReplyDeleteThe Coastguardsman should be seen to be treated by the justice system as any other. A Court Martial does not provide public the same level of confidence imho.