Obama Taints Military Sex Assault Cases

In response to a reporter's question, President Obama indicated that sex assault in the US military should definitively result in a dishonorable discharge.

Two sexual assault courts-martial for Navy men at Pearl Harbor are now postponed because of a comment made by President Barack Obama.

The trial issues — related to a statement by Obama, the commander in chief, that sexual assault perpetrators should be dishonorably discharged — potentially amount to “unlawful command influence” and are part of a spate of military cases nationwide in which the defense is being raised.

The fear is that court-martial boards, aware of such statements from superiors, would be swayed to give the defendant less than a fair trial and that the public would view any convictions and discharges as the boards merely following orders.

I'd suggest the President just didn't think through his response and erred. It's inconceivable that he would screw up military prosecutions on purpose.

Companion post at TJR.