An Army doctor who faces dozens of expenses of sexual abuse — together with allegations of touching sufferers and invading their privateness — appeared in court docket for the primary time Friday, along with his lawyer later saying that the officer plans to plead not responsible.
Maj. Michael Stockin, 38, was arraigned at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, on 47 counts of abusive sexual contact and 5 of indecent viewing, involving 41 victims. The doctor, a ache administration specialist, faces expenses of molestation relationship to 2019, in line with redacted cost sheets launched by the Army.
Stockin deferred getting into a plea on the arraignment. His lawyer, Robert Capovilla of Woodstock, Georgia, informed Navy.com on Monday that Stockin will plead not responsible to all expenses.
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“At this level, the protection can say with supreme confidence that we intend to battle in opposition to each single allegation till the jury renders their verdict,” Capovilla mentioned in an electronic mail to Navy.com.
He added that, whereas “the media will proceed to sentence Maj. Stockin and render judgment” earlier than the officer can plead his case, individuals ought to “hold an open thoughts and bear in mind he’s presumed harmless.”
They need to perceive “this battle is simply begun,” Capovilla mentioned.
Stockin allegedly inappropriately fondled male victims underneath the auspices of medical exams for sexual gratification from roughly 2019 via March 2022 whereas serving at Madigan Army Medical Middle on the set up. He allegedly additionally “knowingly and wrongfully considered the non-public areas” of victims with out their consent.
The officer beforehand waived his proper to an Article 32 listening to, a court docket look that’s the army equal of a preliminary listening to. His subsequent listening to is scheduled for April 17 and is anticipated to launch the method for choosing a jury of eight.
A trial date has been set for Oct. 7.
In an electronic mail to Navy.com on Monday, Michelle McCaskill, director of communications for the Army Workplace of Particular Trial Counsel, mentioned that the workplace “completely evaluated the proof and punctiliously thought of the details” earlier than referring expenses in opposition to Stockin.
“We’re assured that the details and proof assist a conviction and that can be demonstrated when the case goes to trial on Oct. 7,” McCaskill wrote.
The Army Workplace of Particular Trial Counsel was not too long ago created to deal with a few of the service’s most egregious legal circumstances. The staff of impartial prosecutors is tasked with assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, home violence, stalking, little one pornography and harassment legal circumstances. In one among its first circumstances, a soldier based mostly in Okinawa, Japan, was convicted this month of the rape and sexual assault of two victims, and sentenced to twenty years in jail.
Stockin was first charged on Aug. 28 on 23 violations of the Uniform Code of Navy Justice. The variety of expenses and victims grew because the Army expanded its investigation. The service mentioned it had eliminated Stockin from scientific duties with sufferers in February 2022, though one of many specs he faces, in line with the cost sheets, allegedly occurred in March 2022.
At the least 5 of Stockin’s sufferers filed complaints in November underneath the Federal Tort Claims Act in opposition to the Army and the Division of Protection, step one in finally submitting a lawsuit in opposition to the federal government over the incidents.
The case, first reported in August by The Washington Publish, might symbolize the biggest case ever of sexual assault by a single service member.
The utmost punishment if Stockin is convicted of all counts could be discount in rank, forfeiture of all pay and advantages, and greater than 330 years in jail.
Previous to Stockin’s arraignment, Defend Our Defenders, a nonprofit group targeted on army sexual assault and harassment within the ranks, mentioned Army management has uncared for to supply correct look after Stockin’s alleged victims, writing members of Congress to induce them to carry a listening to on the difficulty.
The Stockin listening to is a “pivotal second within the pursuit of justice for survivors,” underscoring a necessity to make sure that latest reforms, reminiscent of creating particular trial counsels in every army service to supervise violent crimes within the army, are successfully carried out, the group mentioned.
“The Stockin case needs to be a ‘code pink’ for the Pentagon. Survivors, our elected officers and advocates labored for years on reforms to make sure that victims are afforded these primary sources, but the army has not carried out the spirit nor letter of the legal guidelines. It’s the duty of Congress to make sure accountability,” Defend Our Defenders Senior Vice President Josh Connolly wrote Thursday in a press launch.
Friday’s arraignment occurred within the courtroom of Col. Larry Babin, an officer who has been on the bench as an Army decide since 2020 and beforehand labored for 22 years as an Army decide advocate.
McCaskill mentioned that, throughout the arraignment, Babin mentioned the rights held by the accused, reminiscent of his proper to counsel, proper to trial, proper to panel trial or trial by army decide.
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