Court Martial Postponed for Air Force Academy Cadet Charged with Sexual Assault | Military

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A court martial scheduled to begin today for a senior Air Force Academy official charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of abusive sexual contact has been postponed, according to an academy spokesperson.

It was not known when the trial would be rescheduled.

Cadet 1st Class Jacob Redlawski of Cadet Squadron 37 is charged with raping a woman on February 17, 2019, in his first year, according to court documents. Redlawski was made aware of the allegations against him earlier this year.

The Gazette does not routinely name alleged victims of sexual assault.

Most courts martial include a military jury, which can convict with a two-thirds vote. But defendants can also choose to be tried only by a judge.

The trial was expected to last potentially up to a week.

Military rape convictions can carry a life sentence, but juries have discretion and there are no mandatory minimum sentences.

The Air Force Academy recorded 41 reports of sexual assault for the 2019-2020 academic year, according to Department of Defense data. It was the highest number of sexual assaults among the top military schools in the country. Reports of sexual assault at the Air Force Academy have increased over the past two academic years, from a low of 23 in 2018.

Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard Clark addressed the topic when the numbers were released in January.

Even an incident of sexual assault or sexual harassment in our academy is unacceptable, Clark said in a statement. Any prevalence of such degrading behavior is corrosive to the high standards we hold as leaders, the core values ​​of our air and space forces and our academy. We are not where we need to be, and we need to get it right. The strength of our air and space forces depends on eradicating sexual assault. “

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