ProPublica continues to cement its status as a premier nonprofit newsroom that investigates and reports on abuses of power. Their most recent article dives into the little-known practice of the military discharging its criminal members as opposed to actually trying them for their crimes.
Hundreds of such cases expose a long-standing but little-reported practice that permits service members facing serious criminal charges to circumvent trial by instead being discharged from the military altogether. The service members might receive negative marks on their personnel records but they completely avoid the possibility of a federal conviction. These crimes aren’t things like theft or vandalism, they’re grievous, violent crimes.
The practice, known as administrative separations in lieu of court-martial, truly shouldn’t exist in the first place. More than half of the 900 soldiers who were allowed to leave the country’s largest military branch in the past decade rather than go to trial were accused of violent crimes, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. Some soldiers escape potentially serious legal consequences: Those who may have been convicted of sexual assault won’t have to register as sex offenders, and those who could have been found guilty of domestic abuse won’t be subject to federal restrictions prohibiting them from owning firearms. Just what this country needs; military rejects with violent histories and easy access to guns.
Of course, this practice has no similar equivalent in the civilian justice system. Even the presumption of innocence is frequently violated for large swaths of regular civilians living in America. Love that for us.
Side Items
One Step Closer: Dianne Feinstein, the fossilized senator from California, has finally asked to step away from the Judiciary Committee while she recovers from shingles. In a statement, the democratic senator who’s overstayed her welcome explained that her recovery had been delayed because of complications, a perfectly normal development for an 89-year-old. She provided no date for her return, which is for the best. Feinstein will be remembered years from now not just because of her selfish refusal to previously step down, but probably because her ghost has been haunting the halls of legislature for nearly a decade
Profile of Dril: The prolifically absurdist Twitter user has mostly avoided the public eye, other than sharing ridiculous and facetious intimate details of his life. Until now. The king of people who spend too much time online finally sat down for an interview, and it’s an interesting look into the mind of someone who almost certainly would’ve been committed to a psychiatric hospital in a previous era
NYPD Robo-Cop Dog: The largest police force in the country unveiled shiny new toy robots, including one powered by AI called K5 that will likely patrol in Times Square or subway stations. The NYPD chief compares K5 to a roomba, but it’s more like an overpriced weapon with lethal capabilities. Officials said the new robots cost the city $750,000 but fret not taxpayers, they were paid for through asset forfeiture. If you’re not familiar with the asset forfeiture process, it’s when police confiscate money or valuable items from suspects who haven’t been convicted of a crime. When I do this on the street it’s called theft and it’s a crime, but somehow when a double-digit IQ officer does it, it’s called “asset forfeiture”
Bonus Side Item
Theranos Scammer Imprisoned: Disgraced wunderkind/billionaire Elizabeth Holmes has been denied in her attempt to avoid federal prison while she appeals her conviction. Holmes was found guilty of massive fraud while overseeing a blood-testing scam that revealed just how much of Silicon Valley is absolutely clueless to the limitations of modern science. Holmes, 39, will surrender to authorities later this month to start the more than 11-year prison sentence that a judge imposed in November. Before you feel too sorry for her, think about the thousands of people of color spending far longer locked up for far less damaging crimes