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Army doctor reaches plea deal in sexual misconduct case

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An Army physician accused by more than 40 patients of sexual misconduct has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, according to his attorney. 

Maj. Michael Stockin, an anesthesiologist at the pain management clinic at Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was charged in one of the largest prosecutions by the Army of its kind after accusations from 41 victims resulted in 47 counts of abusive sexual contact and five counts of indecent viewing. Stockin was arraigned on the charges in February. 

His attorney, Robert Capovilla, confirmed to CBS News that a plea had been reached and will likely be entered in January, when the trial in the case was scheduled to begin, but declined to speak further. The plea agreement was first reported by Stars and Stripes

News of the agreement comes after recent motions hearings were removed from the case’s calendar.  

In a report that first aired on “CBS Mornings” in February, two men described alleged misconduct that occurred under the guise of medical care from Maj. Michael Stockin.

One of the men said he sought the doctor’s help to manage arthritis in his shoulders, and said he was at first “very confused” by Stockin’s examination.

“Myself and Dr. Stockin were left alone in the room. He first checked my shoulders and then he asked me to stand up and to pull down my pants and lift up my gown,” he said. “Dr. Stockin, he was face level with my groin, and he started touching my genitals.”

The other said he was sexually abused by Stockin on three occasions and described a similar experience of receiving what he called an “alternate assessment.” He said he struggled to understand why this visit was unlike any he had previously encountered with a physician. 

“Even with my wife I couldn’t bring myself to talk through what happened,” he said, “It just felt very uncomfortable.”

Both of the men who spoke with CBS News earlier this year have shared their allegations with military investigators and anticipated that they would eventually be publicly identified as victims at trial as part of the criminal case pending against Stockin.

The Army has said that Stockin remains suspended from patient care but still has administrative duties at Madigan Medical Center in a non-clinical area. The trial in this case had been scheduled for January 2025. Stockin had previously entered a plea of not guilty in April. 

A spokesperson for the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel told CBS that an update on the docket indicating a plea had been reached is accurate and declined to comment further, noting that additional details would be made available on the first day of trial.

Ryan Guilds, an attorney for seven of the alleged victims, including the two who spoke with CBS News, declined to comment. 

More than a dozen alleged victims have also filed civil complaints, claiming they were “severely and irreparably harmed” by the Army and the Defense Department whose negligence, they allege, failed to protect them from abuse at the hands of the doctor.

CBS News has not reviewed the plea agreement, but there is no mandatory minimum penalty for the charges, according to the Army. If convicted on all counts, Stockin could have faced a prison sentence of more than 300 years if sentences were to be served consecutively. 



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9/27: CBS Evening News – CBS News

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9/27: CBS Evening News – CBS News


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Helene remnants bring catastrophic flooding to southeastern U.S.; Ohio man’s Halloween display cheers up woman on way to cancer treatments

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Mark Robinson, North Carolina GOP gubernatorial candidate, treated for burns, campaign says

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Embattled Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — whose gubernatorial bid has been rattled by allegations that he previously posted racist and sexually explicit comments online — was hospitalized with burns Friday, his campaign said.

Mike Lonergan, a campaign spokesperson, told CBS News in a statement late Friday night that the 56-year-old Robinson was “currently being treated for burns following an incident at a campaign event in Mt. Airy.”

Lonergan added that Robinson was in “good spirits,” but did not provide any further details on his condition or the circumstances that prompted.

A source close to the campaign told CBS News that Robinson had been hospitalized.

This follows a bombshell CNN report last week which found that Robinson posted inappropriate comments to the message board of a pornographic website between 2008 and 2012, often under the name of “black NAZI.”

Since the report’s publication on Sept. 19, Robinson has seen several campaign staffers resign, including his campaign manager, general consultant and senior adviser, finance director, and deputy campaign manager. He has also appeared to lose support among the Republican leadership.  

Robinson has not appeared in the two North Carolina rallies Trump has held since the CNN report. And when asked Thursday by reporters if he would pull his endorsement for Robinson, Trump responded, “I don’t know the situation.”

When asked Tuesday if Republicans should halt support for Robinson’s campaign, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell responded, “It won’t surprise to you know I’m happy that there’s not a Senate race in North Carolina.”

Robinson, however, has so far vowed to stay in the race.

“This is an election about policies, not personalities,” he wrote on social media Wednesday. “Now is not the time for intra-party squabbling and nonsense.”

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Helene blamed for over 40 deaths; millions without power

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Helene blamed for over 40 deaths; millions without power – CBS News


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Helene weakened to a tropical depression Friday afternoon but continued to dump rain across the south. More than 40 storm-related deaths have been confirmed as millions of residents remain without power. CBS News national correspondent Dave Malkoff reports on the devastation.

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