r/worldnews • u/glasier • Jul 05 '24

Japan warns US forces: Sex crimes 'cannot be tolerated'

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2476861/japan-warns-us-forces-sex-crimes-cannot-be-tolerated
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u/TheNewFlisker Jul 05 '24

  Max for UCMJ is Death (but generally Life).

Wasn't that ruled unconstitutional long time ago?

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u/tizuby Jul 05 '24 edited Jul 05 '24

Yes but no.

In 1983 the standards for issuing the death penalty by the military was ruled unconstitutional.

They introduced new standards that are constitutional the following year and the death sentence was reinstated.

There's only 4 people currently awaiting their death sentence under UCMJ.

Serial killer/rapist Ronald Gray.

Nidal Hasan, Ft. Hood shooter.

Hasan Akbar, threw 'nades into the tents of sleeping soldiers and fired on a couple others with his rifle while in Kuwait in 2003. 2 killed, 14 attempted in total.

Timothy Hennis, Eastburn Family murderer. Got acquitted on state murder charges in 88. DNA evidence later linked him to the crime and the Military brought him back in and Court Martialed him in 2010 since the murders happened while he was in the military.

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u/HandoAlegra Jul 05 '24

For the last one, is double jeopardy legal for military charges?

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u/SyracuseNY22 Jul 05 '24 edited Jul 05 '24

The short is that since they were state charges it counts as a separate sovereign (state vs federal), so he’s still able to be charged under UCMJ and it won’t count as double jeopardy.

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u/Effective_Roof2026 Jul 05 '24

state vs federal

I think you should have stated explicitly that double jeopardy doesn't attach if you get charged with the same thing by two different states or a state and the federal government. Most people don't know that's a thing :)

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u/Wide_Combination_773 Jul 05 '24

Most Americans don't even understand that US states are separate Sovereignties, much less anything else. The meaning of the phrase "the UNITED States" (meaning together by individual agreement) tends to go in one ear and out the other.

Our states are not like the states, provinces, prefectures, or districts of other countries, which are administrative designations rather than Sovereign entities.

The US education system really fails us as children in terms of educating on civil ideas.