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FOX San Antonio - FOLLOW UP STORIES
Convicted Air Force Instructor Gets Twenty Years -- Robert Price
Twenty years behind bars. That's the sentence for an air force training instructor found guilty of sexually assaulting female trainees.
Staff Sergeant Luis Walker could have been sentenced to life without parole. But after hearing testimony from Walker's family and several of his victims, the jury of six men and one woman opted for a lighter sentence.
The Air Force says the 26-year-old is a sexual predator who used his power as a training instructor at Lackland Air Force Base to assault ten trainees.
"We need a safe, secure training environment,” said Air Force spokesperson Colonel Polly Kenny. “Unfortunately, for the ten victims, that was not the case."
Before sentencing, five of those victims gave emotional testimony about the personal and professional toll of walker's abuse.
One woman spoke of breaking off an engagement.
Others said they have trouble sleeping now, can no longer trust men, and regret joining the military.
The defense tried to paint Walker in a more sympathetic light through his wife, sister, and step-dad.
Prosecutors asked the jury to send a message with its punishment and give walker a forty-year sentence. Walker got half that, with the possibility of parole after six years.
Staff Sergeant Walker also received a dishonorable discharge.
Once he's released from prison, he'll have to register as a sex offender.
Investigators say at least thirty-one female trainees and twelve instructors are believed to be involved in this scandal.
Twenty years behind bars. That's the sentence for an air force training instructor found guilty of sexually assaulting female trainees.
Staff Sergeant Luis Walker could have been sentenced to life without parole. But after hearing testimony from Walker's family and several of his victims, the jury of six men and one woman opted for a lighter sentence.
The Air Force says the 26-year-old is a sexual predator who used his power as a training instructor at Lackland Air Force Base to assault ten trainees.
"We need a safe, secure training environment,” said Air Force spokesperson Colonel Polly Kenny. “Unfortunately, for the ten victims, that was not the case."
Before sentencing, five of those victims gave emotional testimony about the personal and professional toll of walker's abuse.
One woman spoke of breaking off an engagement.
Others said they have trouble sleeping now, can no longer trust men, and regret joining the military.
The defense tried to paint Walker in a more sympathetic light through his wife, sister, and step-dad.
Prosecutors asked the jury to send a message with its punishment and give walker a forty-year sentence. Walker got half that, with the possibility of parole after six years.
Staff Sergeant Walker also received a dishonorable discharge.
Once he's released from prison, he'll have to register as a sex offender.
Investigators say at least thirty-one female trainees and twelve instructors are believed to be involved in this scandal.
TEXAS NEWS
Alito to tell lawyers in Dallas about high court
June 20, 2013 08:10 GMT
DALLAS (AP) -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is in North Texas to give some insight into the nation's highest court.
On Thursday Alito is set to address the State Bar of Texas' annual meeting in Dallas. His talk is called, "Ten Things People May Not Know About the Supreme Court."
Alito arrives in Dallas as the court nears the end of its current term with several key decisions still unannounced. One closely watched case involves the University of Texas' use of race as a factor in accepting freshman students.
The case could lead to new limits on affirmative action.
Alito is considered a member of the court's conservative bloc. He has served on the court since 2006 after being nominated by then-President George W. Bush.
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TEXAS HEADLINES
Alito to tell lawyers in Dallas about high court
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Hundreds attend funeral service for Texas officer
EPA levies $2.5M penalty against US cement maker
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BUSINESS NEWS
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