An Army doctor accused of sexual misconduct with sufferers is anticipated to seem in army courtroom in February at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, going through 53 prices of inappropriately taking a look at or touching no less than 23 victims.
Maj. Michael Stockin, 38, an anesthesiologist and ache administration specialist who has labored at a number of army therapy services, together with Madigan Army Medical Heart in Washington state, faces a common court-martial on 48 counts of abusive sexual contact and 5 counts of indecent viewing, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
Since November, the variety of prices he faces has elevated from 39, doubtless the results of the investigation.
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The cost of abusive sexual contact, outlined underneath the Uniform Code of Navy Justice as “touching of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inside thigh, or buttocks of any individual,” is categorized as a sexual crime that falls underneath the Division of Protection’s new necessities for dealing with severe crimes towards people.
Indecent viewing is outlined as wrongfully and knowingly viewing the personal space of one other individual with out their consent or underneath circumstances in which there’s a “affordable expectation of privateness,” in keeping with the UCMJ.
In late 2022, Congress handed a legislation that required the DoD to take away authority for prosecuting alleged perpetrators of 13 offenses, together with rape, homicide, kidnapping and home violence, from the chain of command.
Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin introduced Dec. 28 that the workplaces established to deal with prosecutions of these crimes inside the particular person providers — 4 Places of work of Particular Trial Counsel that embrace the Army; Navy; Marine Corps; and Air Power, chargeable for the Area Power as properly — had reached full operational functionality.
A spokeswoman for the workplace informed Stars and Stripes on Friday that the Stockin case would be the first for the Army Workplace of Particular Trial Counsel.
The workplace has unique authority to find out whether or not to pursue a case towards a service member, ship the case to court-martial, attain plea agreements, drop prices towards the accused, and extra.
In accordance with the Army’s case docket record, Stockin’s arraignment is ready for Feb. 20 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Most punishment for a single cost of abusive sexual contact contains discount in rank, dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for as much as seven years.
The utmost punishment for an indecent viewing cost is discount in rank, dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement as much as one yr.
Stockin beforehand served in Iraq; at Tripler Army Medical Heart in Hawaii; and Walter Reed Nationwide Navy Medical Heart in Bethesda, Maryland.
The Army barred Stockin from seeing sufferers in February 2022 following complaints, though an lawyer for a number of service members mentioned that considered one of her shoppers was seen after that month.
Not less than 5 service members have filed claims towards the Army and the Division of Protection underneath the Federal Tort Claims Act over the abuse they allegedly skilled as Stockin’s sufferers.
Stockin’s lawyer, Robert Capovilla, informed Navy.com in November that his shopper regarded ahead to a “truthful trial and the chance to problem” the allegations in courtroom.
Stockin beforehand waived his proper to an Article 32 listening to after the alleged victims “refused to testify concerning the information of the case and reply the protection group’s questions,” Capovilla mentioned in a Nov. 19 e mail.
Workplace of Particular Trial Counsel spokeswoman Michelle McCaskill informed Stars and Stripes that the date of the arraignment is topic to vary, and a remaining choice on the precise variety of prices may come this week.
The case would be the largest ever filed of sexual assault prices towards a single service member.
Editor’s be aware: This story was up to date with a revised arraignment date.
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