Air Force Seeks Court-Martial in Sexual Assault on Cadet
An Air Force Academy sophomore will be the first to face a court-martial on rape charges since a sexual assault scandal broke at the academy earlier this year, officials announced Wednesday.
Douglas Meester, 20, is charged with rape, sodomy, indecent assault and providing alcohol to minors. If convicted, he could face dismissal from the Air Force and life in prison.
The decision to court-martial Meester was made by Brig. Gen. John Weida, who became cadet commandant earlier this year in a management shakeup that stemmed from the scandal.
Weida rejected the recommendation of the investigating officer who recommended administrative punishment instead.
During a May hearing, an 18-year-old freshman cadet from Pennsylvania testified that on Oct. 18, she drank at least six shots of tequila with Meester and two other cadets in his dorm room. She said she passed out and awoke as Meester raped her.
Defense attorneys argued that the woman never told Meester to stop and did not resist him.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
