In Brief: April 10

Military justice and sexual assault topic of talk

BGSU alumnus Lt. Col. Jeremy Weber will offer “A JAG’s (Judge Advocate General) Perspective on Military Justice and Sexual Assault” as the next speaker in the pre-law series sponsored by the Bernard Mann Pre-Law Education Fund and the Department of Political Science.

His talk will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. April 15 in 208 Bowen-Thompson Student Union. It is free and open to all.

The military has been heavily scrutinized for its inability to resolve the persistent problem of sexual assault within its ranks. Congressional representatives and interest groups have focused on the role of the military justice system in this problem, alleging that the system does not adequately serve the interests of justice in such cases. In December 2013, Congress passed the most comprehensive reforms to the military justice system since the years following World War II, and even more sweeping changes are under consideration.

Weber will explain the development and purposes of the military justice system and offer his perspective on the balance the system seeks between the needs of justice and discipline.

He received his bachelor’s degree, in journalism, from BGSU in 1993 and has been an active duty Air Force judge advocate since graduating from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1996. In his current capacity as an appellate military judge on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, he rules on appeals from Air Force courts-martial worldwide when the approved punishment includes death, confinement for a year or more, or a punitive discharge.

His publications include “Political Speech, the Military, and the Age of Viral Communication” and “Sentence Appropriateness Relief in the Courts of Criminal Appeals,” both of which appear in the Air Force Law Review.

For more information, contact Dr. Leila Kawar at lkawar@bgsu.edu.


State of the Region Conference features former Pittsburgh mayor

Former Pittsburgh mayor Tom Murphy will give the keynote address at the 12th annual State of the Region Conference April 14 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 6165 Levis Commons Blvd., in Perrysburg. Murphy is now a senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute.

Hosted by the University’s Center for Regional Development, the conference will also feature the annual address on the state of the region by CRD director Dr. Michael Carroll.

Also on the program will be a panel of experts representing the agriculture, bio/health and transportation sectors.

The panel includes Aaron Pitts of JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes job creation and economic development for Ohio; Kevin Smith of Associated General Contractors of Northwest Ohio, and Jack Penning of Sixel Consulting, an air transportation and airport consulting firm.

The program begins with breakfast and networking from 8-9 a.m. followed by the speakers from 9 a.m. to noon. Attendance is free; however, registration is required. Register online.

Updated: 12/02/2017 12:50AM