"Grey Matters": a lesson in consent

By: Airman 1st Class Alex Echols
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

2/27/2014 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 325th Fighter Wing Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office, Tyndall's Victim Advocates, the 325th FW Legal office and the Area Defense Counsel hosted a mock trial Feb. 25 at the base support court room.

"Grey Matters" was a realistic, condensed sexual assault trial and intended to teach the audience as well as the jury, the proceedings and intensity of an actual court-martial and how grey the area of consent is.

"The whole purpose was to define consent and to show that a sexual assault case is never as black-and-white as we would like it to be," said 1st Lt. Heather Van Pinxteren, 325th Force Support Squadron readiness officer. "We need to understand that beyond all of the gray, it boils down to whether or not there is consent and the ability to provide consent."

To keep things as true to life as possible, members of the Legal office played the prosecution and the Area Defense Counsel acted as the legal representation for the defendant.

"It's important for wide exposure to realize that anybody can put themselves in a situation where they might be on trial," said Capt. Cortney Zuercher, 325th FW ADC. "It's important to get this message out as a deterrent and to educate everybody on base to keep them from ever making it inside this courtroom."

VAs played the roles of the alleged victim, her witness, the defendant and a member of the jury.

"It was scary and uncomfortable," said Staff Sgt. Sabrina K. Overmyer, 325th Medical Group preventive dentistry NCO in charge and alleged victim. "It felt real. It felt like, if it wasn't me, it could have happened to someone I know."

Approximately 30 Team Tyndall spectators were in attendance.

"I think it's first hand education," said Airman 1st Class Sarah Webb, 325th Communications Squadron enterprise information management technician. "We have briefings where we're told don't do this or watch out for that, but you never see what can happen. I think it provides that education of what can happen."

Grey Matters was the first of many upcoming mock trials. The SAPR, VA, ADC and Legal Office plan to help educate the Tyndall population one trial at a time.