Ruth's Truth #22: A Safety Plan Isn't Always "Just a Safety Plan"
February, 2026One of the quiet traps for survivors — especially military-connected survivors — is assuming that a "safety plan" means the same thing everywhere because it doesn't....
Ruth’s Truths
A series of insights, reflections, and practical tips based on real-world experience supporting military-connected survivors and training the teams who serve them.
Ruth's Truth #21: Showing Up
February, 2026New Bern, NC got 18 inches of snow — the most in 100 years — I was the only person out on the golf course with my cross-country skis, not really expecting anything to happen. It did....
Ruth's Truth #20: When “Not Prosecutable” Becomes “Nothing Happened”
January, 2026I’ve written before about administrative separation boards, but this is about the cost of doing nothing. After representing 80+ victims, here’s the hard truth: most sexual assault cases in the military will never go to court-martial....
Ruth's Truth #19: The Year Behind, the Year Ahead
January, 2026A year ago, I thought I knew what my “next” looked like - I was wrong...
Ruth's Truth #18: The Gift of “Christmas” 🎄
December, 2025As Christmas rolls around this week, I keep thinking about a different kind of “Christmas” I had back in 2016—in Hawaii.
At the time, I was living in Alaska and was representing my first child client....
Ruth's Truth #17: Can You Hear Me Now?
December, 2025Every time another case surfaces involving a doctor who assaults or secretly records patients, the pattern is so predictable –someone tried to warn; someone reported; no one was heard...
Ruth's Truth #16: Service of Process on Military Bases and Subpoenaing Witnesses
November, 2025After almost 30 years of being a lawyer, just when I think “I’ve got this, it should be no problem” I realize how much I still have to learn. Recently, while helping a survivor in civilian court, I slammed into a wall that every attorney will hit...
Ruth’s Truth #15: More “Alternative Justice”
October, 2025Most military-connected victims have been told what to do and options that are available if they are assaulted. When making unrestricted reports, victims typically cooperate, give statements, interview, and many participate...
Ruth's Truth #14: Better Call.......
October, 2025This month I was unexpectedly thrown back into the fires of civilian court after being away for 25 years. To be honest, it's been scary and absolutely not what I thought I'd be doing....
Ruth's Truth #13: Military Protective Orders and No Contact Orders: Does It Matter?
October, 2025A domestic abuse incident occurs on a military installation between spouses (which could include a sexual assault), and the command issues a No Contact Order (NCO) instead of a Military Protective Order (MPO)....
Ruth's Truth #12: What Are the Alternatives to Victims When a Case Is Not Prosecuted or there is a Substantiated Investigation?
September, 2025In my last truth, I discussed how a decision not to prosecute is not the same as finding nothing happened. If a case isn't prosecuted in the criminal realm, victims often turn to civil court, where the burden of proof is lower...
Ruth's Truth #11: What Happens When the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) Declines to Prosecute a Case?
September, 2025Since December 2023, the OSTC has had exclusive authority to decide whether to prosecute cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, murder, kidnapping, retaliation (a UCMJ offense since 2019), and related crimes....
Ruth's Truths #10: What are a "College Student's" Rights?
August, 2025Legal proceedings have begun for four soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a college student in the barracks at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in October 2024....
Ruth's Truth #9: Asking the Right Questions at the Front End: "Are You a Military Member?"
August, 2025When I was Deputy Program Manager for the National Guard Special Victims' Counsel (SVC) program, through the research of my AMAZING Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) paralegal, we found that 43% of SVC cases had an active-duty component...
Ruth's Truth #8: When the Victim is a Spouse, Partner, or Child of a Servicemember
September, 2025In 1993, North Carolina became the last state to abolish the marital rape exemption. I had just graduated from UNC-Greensboro wide-eyed and bushy tailed as they say, and was honored to assist attorneys fighting for that change....
Ruth's Truth #7: The Role of Victim Counsel when Military Members are Assaulted by Civilians
September, 2025What happens when a servicemember is groped or sexually assaulted by a
civilian?
Generally, local law enforcement has jurisdiction if off base, and there
may be concurrent investigative authority if the investigation happens
on base....
Ruth's Truth #6: Military-Connected Victim Representation - What About Civilian Victims?
July, 2025While serving in Alaska, I met a local attorney whose daughter was sexually assaulted by an active duty servicemember. He discovered that civilian victims are not eligible for free legal representation under the military's Victim Counsel programs, as are servicemembers and their dependents...
Ruth's Truth #5: Asserting Article 6b Rights on Behalf of Victims
July, 2025A few weeks ago, I shared why it's essential to determine proper jurisdiction in military investigations—by identifying the status of the individuals and where the incident occurred. The tragic case of Sailor Angelina Resendiz shows why this matters....
Ruth's Truth #4: The Importance of Status and Location in Sexual Assault Cases
July, 2025During my time as a Special Victims’ Counsel (SVC) and later as Deputy Program Manager for the National Guard SVC Program, I often encountered cases where early jurisdictional missteps created long-term challenges—especially when victims were initially interviewed by the wrong investigative authority....
Ruth's Truth #3: Alternative Justice for Survivors
June, 2025Last week I talked about participation, as not every survivor chooses to participate in a court-martial or trial—and not every case proceeds to prosecution. The legal standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” is difficult to meet, especially when the case comes down to two voices....
Ruth's Truth #2: Survivor Reporting and Participation Barriers – It’s More than Filling out a Form
June, 2025“Why didn’t they report?” “Oh, she reported and now is not going to cooperate???” “If it were me, I’d press charges...” We hear it all the time—but the reality is far more complex...
Ruth's Truth #1: Sexual Assault Forensic Exams - Keep Your Form on Hand
May 15, 2025In 2012, I was a deployed JAG officer in Egypt when I was part of something I'll never forget. If someone on our camp was sexually assaulted, they had to be transported—often by helicopter—from Egypt to Israel just to receive a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE). That process often took days....