default assign to is wrong

When resolving an issue, In version 3.03, the default 'assign to' was the reporter. In version 3.23 it is not. Now it looks like it's the current assignee/user, which doesn't make any sense. Even though the reporter's name is under "Automatic", that is not the default.
On a related note, Is there a way of improving the default value in the dropdown value for 'Assign to' when resolving an issue? I need to have users deliberately choose a value when resolving issues or else they go astray. If the dropdown was blank, it would force them to visit the field.