Katz, Marshall & Banks Of Counsel Susan L. Burke joined Daniel Carter, Director of 32 National Campus Safety Initiative (“32 NCSI”), on Al Jazeera’s America Tonight on November 1, 2013, to discuss “campus justice” in sexual assault cases. On the show, Ms. Burke discussed her representation of Midshipman Jane Doe, who is currently a witness in a government prosecution alleging that she was sexually assaulted by members of the U.S. Naval Academy football team during an on-campus party. Ms. Burke described how Midshipman Doe was subjected to extended and harassing cross-examination during her Article 32 hearing for no justifiable reason, and how the military attorneys did nothing to prevent the harassment.
Ms. Burke next discussed her efforts to reform the judicial system within the military as it relates to victims of sexual assault, and discussed the institutional issues within the military that may make issues of victim abuse worse in the military than in the civilian court systems. Finally, Ms. Burke called on Americans to step forward and support efforts led by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to remove sexual assault cases from the military’s chain of command.
