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AP National

Independent lawyers begin prosecuting cases of sexual assault and other crimes in the US military

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Published 6:00 AM

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has opened a new chapter in how it investigates and prosecutes cases of sexual assault and other major crimes. The military on Thursday is putting independent lawyers in charge of those decisions, sidelining commanders after years of pressure from Congress. The change was long resisted by Pentagon leaders. It was finally forced by frustrated members of Congress who believed that too often commanders would fail to take victims’ complaints seriously or would try to protect alleged perpetrators in their units. The new law was fueled by a persistent increase in sexual assaults and harassment across the military.

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