Page 18 - Military Code News Today

>> reporter: hasans total pay since the shooting, more than $2 $278,000. the defense department confirmed the numbers in response to a freedom of information act request. the army tells us under the military code of justice they cannot suspend hasans pay unless he is proven guilty but more than three years later, he is still awaiting trial. >> were giving the defendant in this case every benefit of the doubt, but yet were not giving benefits to victims. >> reporter: congressman rooney is a forme...

>> bret: some fresh pickings from the political grapevine. the man charged in the fort hood shooting that dad hassan fired his attorneys and told the military judge he wishes to represent himself. he goes on trial this summer for the 2009 army base shooting spree that killed 13 and injured 32. kxas tv reports that while sitting in jail hassan has been paid more than $278 taxpayer dollars under the military code of justice a suspects salary cannot be suspended until hes found guilty. meanwhile ma...

Prosecutors be the place that women or men go when theres a -- when they have a sexual assault charge? >> well, theres no question that this is absolutely inexcusable conduct. the president spoken and convened the secretary of defense in the white house on thursday to express this has to be resolved. >> theyve been told that for years. >> and the lack of response and action here is completely unacceptable. secretary of defense knows that. joint chiefs know that. the presidents communicated. so w...

Thursday to express this has to be resolved. were going to look for a way. >> they have been told that for years. >> and the lack of response and action here is completely unacceptable secretary of defense knows that. joint chiefs know that. the presidents communicated. so what we have to do is find a way to address this in a better fashion thats been done, the president instructed the secretary of defense to do that. >> does the president support the idea or think its feasible to take this issu...

Constitution. >> bill: but you dont brand anyone for sincerely held belief better for military order if gays used to serve as they used to in a dont ask, dont tell situation. you wouldnt say even though you disagree with it that officer would be homophobe bic automatically. >> absolutely not. all we care about -- were a hamburger not a complex meal. its your behavior and your attitude that matters. what you have inside belongs to you. >> bill: we assume that the military code of justice will tak...

Actively engaged in this conversation. recently a group of us were over at the pentagon meeting with the vice chiefs of staff at all levels, they are saying were trying to change the culture. were trying to change the training, were trying to change our ability to talk about this. and part of what they need to do is change the number of prosecutions and laws. as anu said and youve heard, the military code of justice does not exactly follow civilian law. and there are reasons its different. but c...

Simple fact. talk to me about what you experienced and why you think this is necessary. >> i experienced a culture in the military that wasnt conducive to helping survivors. and i kept secret for many years because i was uncomfortable. and i didnt want to really share it. so when i started seeing the public opinion change, and i saw representative pingrees reg legislation come forward, i knew it was time to talk and to share my experience. >> and one of the things that was so shocking that i hea...

That means one out of 100, we have accountability. >> and as you pointed out yesterday, a huge percentage of those who are convicted return to their commands so what does that say to the victims? its remarkable. >> its part of a very serious problem. if you have 19,000 allegations, but only 2400 are even reported, that vast number arent reporting because they do not believe -- this is the testimony we heard yesterday. theyre afraid, theyre afraid of retaliation. theyre afraid of being held accou...

Realistically, what chance bdoe it have? >> we had an enormous amount of support, bipartisan, house and senate. we were just at the pentagon two weeks ago getting a briefing on the incredible progress they claim to have made and trying to reduce the alarming level of sexual assault in the military. and this decision by this supervising general just turns justice on its head. when he appointed the all-male jury which convicted the lieutenant colonel of sexual assault, and punished him according t...

You heard which were very, very moving i thought. just pure human level. nothing political, nothing whistle-blower. it went on for nine months. >> i was struck by this other detail about there was no toilet paper in the cell so when he used the toilet that was in the cell he would have to call out and request toilet paper which seemed like an incredibly humiliating ritual to go through. zach, i guess i want to get your thoughts, your reaction to hearing about this as someone who himself was -- v...