Judge rejects subpoena for Hadithah interview

[unhappycamper]

Judge rejects subpoena for Hadithah interview
By Chelsea J. Carter - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Feb 22, 2008 23:53:59 EST

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A judge on Friday threw out a Marine prosecutor’s subpoena for unaired footage of a CBS interview given by a squad leader accused of crimes in an attack that killed 24 Iraqis.

Military judge Lt. Col. Jeffrey Meeks said the subpoena felt like a “fishing expedition” since prosecutors had other avenues to obtain evidence needed to prosecute the case against Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich.

“Therefore, the motion to quash the subpoena is granted,” Meeks said during a pretrial hearing for Wuterich, who faces voluntary manslaughter and other charges in the Nov. 19, 2005, deaths in Hadithah, Iraq.

Prosecutors had argued that the footage, from a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Wuterich, contained admissions of crimes in the attack.

Wuterich “apparently admits in an unaired segment that he did in fact order his men to ‘shoot first and ask questions later,”’ Capt. Nicholas Gannon argued.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_cbs_hadithah_080222/