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Tinker gains first special victims’ counsel

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  • By John Parker
  • Staff Writer
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Victims of sexual assault or rape have a new resource established for the first time at Tinker Air Force Base: a judge advocate duty-bound to serve as their personal attorney at Air Force expense.

Capt. Jeremy Maldonado became the base's Special Victims' Counsel in August. He is one of nearly 40 Air Force Special Victims' Counsels at 30 installations around the globe. Begun in 2013, the program is designed to reinforce other Air Force initiatives to eliminate sexual assault.

Captain Maldonado was most recently an assistant staff judge advocate with the 72nd Air Base Wing for the last two years. He now reports directly to the Air Force Legal Operations Agency in Washington, D.C., a deliberate arrangement to separate independent SVCs from any installation's chain of command.

Captain Maldonado said his job is to represent victims of sexual assault or rape who ask for his services. As a victim's private advocate, he could be arguing in court to stop Air Force prosecutors from releasing personal information the victim doesn't want revealed, or filing briefs to stop a defense request for the victim's sexual history when it's not relevant to a defendant's case.

"My legal obligation is to my clients solely," the captain said. "Everything I do -- the advice that I give and the actions that I take -- have to be in my clients' best interests, and because I'm their attorney, client confidentiality rules apply as well.

"Even if commanders want updates or if they want to know certain things about my client, I'm under a legal obligation to keep that confidential. That's what's great about having the independent chain of command."

Captain Maldonado begins representing clients when a victim contacts him directly or through victim-approved referrals from the Sexual Assault and Prevention Response Program, the Family Advocacy Program and other avenues.

While Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Victim Advocates are excellent resources for reporting assaults, Captain Maldonado said as an attorney he can confidentially advise his clients about their rights, legal options and what they'll likely face with any decision they make.

In 2012, the captain was named Air Force Materiel Command's Outstanding Young Judge Advocate. His criminal law experience includes 3½ years as an assistant district attorney in Houston.

"I prosecuted a lot of domestic violence cases," the captain said. "One of the things that we know is that when somebody's been a victim of sexual assault or rape, sometimes their life can almost feel like it's spiraling out of control. Something very important is taken away from them. We're there to try and help put them back in control again."

Air Force SVCs have represented more than 1,840 sexual assault victims since 2013, according to the program. About 70 percent of clients are active duty. The attorneys also represent dependents, including children, Reserve and Air National Guard (Title 10) members and qualifying civilians serving outside the continental United States. Other criteria can also apply.

Maldonado is one of several special victims' counsels who cover the Air Force's U.S. Central Judicial Circuit. They can travel to represent clients at Keesler, AFB, Miss., Joint Base San Antonio, Minot AFB, N.D., Little Rock AFB, Ark., and other locations.

"I really want to encourage people to come forward, make a report or at least to get information, at the very minimum," the captain said. "Reporting a sexual assault is a very big step for somebody. I think the more information that a person has, the more informed decision they'll be able to make, and that's one of the big things that I can help with."

Contacting the SVC program
Captain Maldonado is located in Bldg. 1, Room 122. Contact him at (202) 763-5418 or at jeremy.maldonado.1@us.af.mil.
The program's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/airforcesvc.