Citing prosecutor misconduct, judge dismisses charges against Blackwater guards

[ProSense]

This is becoming a pattern:

Judge throws out Blackwater manslaughter charges

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said prosecutors had wrongly used statements the guards made to State Department investigators under a threat of job loss.

The five guards were charged a year ago with 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempt to commit manslaughter and one weapons violation count over a Baghdad shooting that outraged Iraqis and strained ties between the two countries.

<...>

"Accordingly," he wrote, "the court declines to excuse the government's reckless violation of the defendants' constitutional rights as harmless error."

<...>

A sixth Blackwater guard pleaded guilty late last year to charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

This stinks!

[NJmaverick]

1. I can't help but wonder if that misconduct was deliberate

in an effort to ensure they would not be punished

[WeDidIt]

2. Sounds like the misconduct happened back when charges were brought

which means it was done on Bush's watch.

It's possible you are correct.

[NJmaverick]

3. That was what I was thinking

bush's people deliberately botch the case to give the villains a free pass.

[mcablue]

4. I noticed poor people never benefit from prosecutor misconduct

It's always cases featuring Congressmen and contractors and other powerful defendants.

I think someone should investigate whether at least some prosecutorial misconduct is deliberate.