Judge Refuses Dismissal of Sexual Misconduct Case Against Army Officer
Military judge Col. Ferdinand Clervi denied lawyer’s requests to dismiss a sexual misconduct trial against former Sgt. Maj. of the Army Gene McKinney. McKinney’s attorneys claimed the jury was unfairly “stacked” with women and senior officials. Three of the twelve jury members are women, 25 percent, while women make up about 14 percent of army personnel. Army prosecutor Lt. Col. Michael Child said, “There is no basis to suggest that if there are more women sitting on this panel that they couldn’t be just as fair.” McKinney, the Army’s former top enlisted man, is charged with 19 counts of sexual harassment and assault. If convicted, he faces a possible reduction in rank and 56 years in prison.
6/18/2013 Supreme Court Strikes Down Proof of Citizenship Voter Requirements - On Monday, the United States Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed register to vote.
In an opinion written [PDF] by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court ruled that the Arizona statute violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA, also known as the "Motor Voter Law") of 1993, which created a federal form that individuals can mail in to register to vote in federal elections. . . .
6/18/2013 Pakistani Women's University Bus, Hospital Bombed - A bus for a women's university in Pakistan and the hospital that treated victims from the blast were bombed on Saturday, killing 14 students and 24 others at the hospital.
The bus was transporting female students and teachers from Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University in Quetta, located in the southwestern part of Pakistan. . . .
6/18/2013 Taliban Attack In Afghan Capital As NATO Transfers Power - Yesterday, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) transferred responsibility for the country's security forces to the Afghan government after a bomb blast targeting a political official left three civilians dead in Kabul. . . .
