{"id":26233,"date":"2022-12-05T19:36:38","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T19:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/12\/05\/us-army-creates-legal-office-for-murder-rape-other-serious-crime\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:03:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:03:27","slug":"us-army-creates-legal-office-for-murder-rape-other-serious-crime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/congress\/2022\/12\/05\/us-army-creates-legal-office-for-murder-rape-other-serious-crime\/","title":{"rendered":"US Army creates legal office for murder, rape, other serious crime"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Army has appointed a top military lawyer to oversee how the service prosecutes serious criminal offenses such as murder, rape and sexual assaults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth nominated Col. Warren L. Wells for promotion to brigadier general, which the Senate approved last week, according to an Army Public Affairs statement. Wells will report to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth in his position as the Army\u2019s first lead special trial counsel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are restructuring the way the Army prosecutes perpetrators of covered offenses such as murder, rape, and sexual assaults,\u201d Wormuth said. \u201cAs Army\u2019s Lead Special Trial Counsel, Col. Wells is the experienced leader the Army needs to lead the Office of Special Trial Counsel and ensure its independent oversight of the Army\u2019s most complex cases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The restructuring comes as Congress has called for revamping the handling of military sexual assault cases<\/a> and ongoing inquiries into sex crimes and homicide cases in each of the military branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\t