Jackie Speier

Do you agree that special victim's counsel should not serve in billets that challenge their duty to their client?

I support this proposal.

I think it is dismissive to call them staff officers--to get the advice of JAGs when to do this.

Do you believe recent expansions of the concept of apparent unlawful command influence hampers commanders and compromises their ability to set the necessary cultures within their units? How would your recommend changing the definition of…

Are you aware of penetrative offenses under your jurisdictions being sent to special and summary courts martial while statute requires them to be tried at general courts martial? What is the cause of these failures to comply with the law…

The process was worse than the rape

I want to thank you for the courage that you have shown.

One area I am concerned with regarding the SVC program is the ability of the special victims lawyer to operate independent of any command, similar to defense counsel.

Are the recent decisions from CAAF jeopardizing convictions?

Why did this failure occur? Can you each commit to me that your services will rapidly put in place a system to ensure victims are asked whether they prefer their cases to be tried in civilian or military courts?

What happens when a prosecutor's ethical and legal expertise contradict commanders' opinions? What happens when justice demands that case be brought forward, and the prosecutor is unable to because the commander refuses to act?

How feasible is it for your service to develop an independent prosecution chain, along the lines of the Marines' reform?

One sexual assault is too many

I have a lot of high regard for the DAC-IPAD, but I think what you are referring to is a situation where the standard that they used was 'reasonable.'

I can't get around the decision made in Ms. Hanson's case. There was cold evidence.

Are you concerned by this failure to comply with the Federal law, and what does it mean to you that there is no system of recording victims' preference?

I think it is also offensive to consider this the equivalent of a parent and child relationship.

And he gets full benefits, I trust?

Did you ask that the case be sent to court-martial?

I am sure she wouldn't want that on her plate either, but it is just there is an inherent conflict of interest.

I think that is sugar-coating the issue.

Would you agree that following the Air Force's model and providing the SVC program with additional resources like dedicated paralegals will help strengthen the program's role in the military justice process?

I have been fighting this epidemic of sexual assault in the military since 2011.

I just want to echo the words you started out with. There is a piecemeal patchwork of authorities today and duty status reform is long overdue.

I could conceive of a set of circumstances where you would have someone in category one that is equal to someone in category two because they may not be in a military action.