Arkansas court overturns National Guard officer conviction due to jurisdiction dispute

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the military court conviction of a National Guard officer accused of sexual assault, arguing lack of jurisdiction because the man wasn’t on active duty when the alleged assault happened.

The high court on Thursday ruled 6-1 that the military tribunal did not have jurisdiction to hear the case against Chief Warrant Officer 4 Adam Childers, who was court-martialed over an alleged sexual assault in 2016 in Norman, Oklahoma.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Childers pleaded guilty to charges of cruelty and maltreatment and of failure to obey order or regulation at court-martial in 2018.