Governor to sign update to Alaska’s military justice code

ANCHORAGE — The code of military justice for the Alaska National Guard is getting an update, two years after a scathing report into alleged misconduct found a lack of confidence in the guard command.

Gov. Bill Walker is expected to sign the overhaul into law Saturday during a community event in Anchorage hosted by the Alaska Army National Guard.

Alaska’s code was established in 1955 and remained largely untouched until the Legislature this spring approved changes to empower the guard to prosecute more crimes committed by service members.

In 2014, a report into allegations of sexual assault and fraud found that actual and perceived favoritism, ethical misconduct and fear of reprisal had eroded trust in guard leadership. The report also found the guard lacked a formal means for coordinating with local law enforcement in cases involving guard member misconduct.

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