A two-star US Air Force general has been facing court-martial since Monday in a sexual assault case involving a non-military civilian.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
Commander of the Air Force research laboratory at the time when the alleged facts took place, Major-General William Bill Cooley is the very first of this branch of the American army to be tried before a military court.
He pleaded not guilty to a charge of kissing and touching a woman against her will in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in August 2018 while off duty. The accused pleaded not guilty and claimed the relationship was consensual.
According to the newspaper Air Force Times, this is the first time that sexual assault charges have been brought against someone so high in the chain of command. General Cooley chose a trial by judge only. The trial, which is being held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is expected to last a week.