Naval Academy midshipman not guilty in sex assault

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former U.S. Naval Academy football player was acquitted Thursday of sexually assaulting a classmate at a party, bringing to a close a case that drew wide attention at a time when the military is under scrutiny for how it deals with sexual assault.

The judge overseeing the case, Col. Daniel Daugherty, acquitted Joshua Tate of Nashville, Tenn., of one count of aggravated sexual assault. During a three-day trial, prosecutors argued that the woman Tate was accused of having sex with was too drunk to consent. But Tate’s attorneys disagreed, arguing the woman was in control of her body and making decisions for herself at the party in 2012 where the alleged assault occurred.