The military takes criminal charges very seriously and will not tolerate such acts – no matter who commits them. A senior member of one of the Army’s recruiting units is facing a general court-martial on charges that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2019.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Travis Gause, who is assigned to the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion in Fort Bragg, North Carolina is scheduled to be heard on May 9th in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Gause’s unit is responsible for locating individuals for Army special operations units.
U.S. Army Recruiting Command spokesperson Brian McGovern stated that “Gause was mainly focused on internal recruiting efforts to seek current enlisted Soldiers to apply to become warrant officers. He has been suspended from all recruiting duties and has been assigned to administrative duties.”
Charged with Sexual Assault
Gauge has been charged with committing a penetrative sexual assault on a woman in 2019 between February 26th and February 28th in Fayetteville. According to the relevant charge sheet, Gause has been accused of committing the act “without the [woman’s] consent” and also that the woman “was incapable of consenting” due to being under the influence of alcohol. The statement says that Gause either know or reasonably should have known that this was the case.
Gause has not made a statement. However, his attorney, Andrew Dualan, gave a phone interview in which he stated: “We look forward to proving his innocence at trial.”
Will a Unanimous Vote be Required?
It’s important to note that as of 2020, military courts-martial are the only legal system in the country in which a unanimous jury verdict is not required to convict a defendant of a crime. However, due to another sexual assault trial in Europe, the military judge agreed to instruct the jury to only convict with a unanimous vote. The Arm is currently appealing that ruling.
If this new rule is not overturned, it could have significant widespread effects. For instance, many sexual assault victims prefer to press charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) rather than in civilian court because they believe that the non-unanimous vote would be in their favor.
The Court-Martial Law Division of Aviso Law LLC Helps Military Members in Colorado Who Have Been Charged with a Crime
The U.S. Government has an interest in obtaining a conviction as soon as possible, as it does not wish to gain negative publicity about one of its service members. That is why it is so important to consult with a knowledgeable and experienced military attorney as soon as possible. If you are a military service member and have been charged with a crime under the UCMJ, the Court-Martial Law Division of Aviso Law LLC can help. We proudly serve our military members, who sacrifice so much for our country. To learn more or to schedule a free consultation, contact us today!
