IMO Lt Colonel Craig Franklin should be demoted and discharged

[LiberalFighter]

for overturning the rape conviction of a fellow air force officer. And the conviction should be reinstated of Wilkerson.

[TwilightGardener]

1. I don't know--he was given this authority and responsibility, and I don't think

it should necessarily be a career-ending punishment to choose "wrongly" on any particular case. That said, he should have provided a clear written account of his decision making process. I realize he doesn't have to under the convening-authority law, but had I been his legal counsel (they advised him not to overturn the conviction), I would have had him do it for his own protection. Now it just looks bad, like one asshole fighter-jock officer protecting another. The one clear aspect of this is: the convening-authority law needs to be changed to prevent this from happening again, at least in sexual assault/rape cases.

[LiberalFighter]

2. It calls into question his ability for sound judgement.

[TwilightGardener]

4. BTW, I think Franklin is a Lt. Gen. But again, this is why he should be able to provide

an account of his decision-making rationale to the Pentagon. If he refuses, even though it's within his right to do so, the President or the SecDef needs to do something to prevent him from having convening authority in the future, at the very least.

[stevenleser]

3. Can you send me a link with details. I may highlight him on my show's "Hall of Shame" section. nt

[stevenleser]

5. Got it. This is pretty shocking.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/us/politics/hagel-to-open-review-of-sexual-assault-case.html?_r=0

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. thanks for the link, yes - very shocking