Judge rejects request to dismiss charges against last Marine in Haditha case

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Washington Post

Judge rejects request to dismiss charges against last Marine in Haditha case
By Tony Perry
Saturday, March 27, 2010

CAMP PENDLETON, CALIF. -- A military judge at Camp Pendleton on Friday rejected a defense request to throw out charges against the last Marine charged in the death of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.

Lt. Col. David Jones, the judge, had ruled Tuesday that there was a possibility that what the military calls undue command influence was present when two generals decided to bring charges against Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich.

But Friday, Jones ruled that he saw no indication of actual influence on Gen. James Mattis or since-retired Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland. Both, he said, conducted an "unbiased assessment" of the case before sending charges. Mattis sent charges to a preliminary hearing, and Helland sent charges to a court-martial after that hearing.

In making his Tuesday ruling, Jones said the prosecution had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that no undue influence existed. In his Friday ruling turning down the defense request, the judge ruled that prosecutors had "overwhelmingly" met that burden.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/26/AR2010032604899.html

[pundaint]

1. You can be charged with failure to launch a war crimes investigation under UCMJ?!

Does the Commander in Chief know this?

[wtmusic]

2. Accountability...what a quaint idea. nt