Maryland News

Retired Major General Facing Court-Martial On Rape Charges

/ CBS Baltimore

FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — A retired major general will face a court-martial on charges that he raped a child over a six-year period while on active duty in the 1980s. The U.S. Army said in a statement Wednesday that James J. Grazioplene will be assigned a military judge. A date will then be set for Grazioplene's trial.The 68-year-old from Gainesville, Virginia, faces a maximum punishment of forfeiture of pay and confinement for life.

A preliminary hearing to review the evidence against Grazioplene was held in August in Maryland. Grazioplene's attorney, Thomas Pavlinic, said by email Wednesday that the court-martial referral on all charges was an "utter surprise." He said it was inconsistent with a military judge's recommendations following the August hearing.

The Army did not respond to a request for the judge's ruling.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

© 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.