Hagel Orders Review of Sexual-Assault Case

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered a full review March 11 of the case involving Air Force Lt. Col. James Wilkerson, who saw his conviction of aggravated sexual assault overturned by Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, the commander of the 3rd Air Force. Franklin’s actions negated a sentence that included dismissal from the Air Force, and one year in prison. It also paved the way for Wilkerson to be reinstated. Hagel’s decision came in response to complaints by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., that Franklin overstepped his role as the convening authority for courts-martial under his command. According to an announcement hailing the review on Boxer’s Web site, a military jury convicted Wilkerson after he allegedly groped a physician assistant in March 2012. The probe will focus on how Franklin abided by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) in making his decision to exonerate Wilkerson. If so, or if the UCMJ contained loopholes that allowed Franklin to act egregiously, Hagel may call for appropriate changes to remedy such faults.