Jury selection began Monday at the Washington Navy Yard in the general court martial for Naval Academy quarterback Lamar Owens Jr.
Owens, 22, is accused of raping a fellow midshipman Jan. 29 in Bancroft Hall, an academy dorm, after an evening of heavy drinking. He has maintained the sex was consensual.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys interviewed 14 potential jurors, who are officers at the Naval Academy. Selection was still proceeding into the early evening. At least five jurors are required.
Owens? case is one of three sex-related cases at the Naval Academy planned for court martial this summer. Another football player, Kenny Ray Morrison, is charged with sexual misconduct, and professor Lt. Bryan Black is accused of sexual harassment. Many have said this increase reflects a desire on the part of Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt to make the academy, which has been described in the past as “hostile” to women, appear to be taking a tougher stance on sexual-related offenses.
Attorneys asked the potential jurors if they thought Rempt “wants a specific outcome” in the Owens case. None of the potential jurors said that thought Rempt wanted a guilty conviction.
In a pretrial hearing last week, Cmdr. John Maksym, the military judge presiding over the trial, criticized Rempt for a Feb. 22 e-mail sent to academy staff, faculty and students. The e-mail, which Rempt said was meant to inform people at the academy about the case, referred to the accuser as “a sexual assault victim,” but did not use the term alleged. Maksym said the e-mailpresumed Owens was guilty.
Many potential jurors said that they had received the e-mail, but also that they had not discussed the case with Rempt or his staff.
Attorneys also asked jurors their opinions on underage drinking and whether or not they had experience with blackouts.
Throughout the hearing, Owens remained silent and still. Maksym said the court martial would likely last the duration of the week, possibly through Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
