Crossposted from Idaho News from KTVB.COM

Evan Vela

by Associated Press

Posted on June 11, 2010 at 12:00 PM

ST. ANTHONY, Idaho — The family and legal team of an Idaho soldier convicted of killing an unarmed Iraqi say he has been denied clemency and will next focus on an August parole hearing.

Sgt. Evan Vela’s wife, Alyssa Carnahan, tells the Post Register that Vela told her Wednesday that the U.S. Army Clemency and Parole Board denied clemency following a June 3 hearing.

Vela, a U.S. Army sniper, is serving a 10-year sentence after being convicted in 2008 of killing an Iraqi citizen and planting an AK-47 rifle on the dead man’s body. Vela admitted to the killing, though he said he was following orders issued by his superiors.

Dan Conway, Vela’s attorney, says he believes Vela has a better chance of being released on parole than being granted clemency.

Crossposted from wbztv.com

By JULIE WATSON, Associated Press Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) ―

A Camp Pendleton Marine whose murder conviction was recently overturned was released Monday after serving four years in prison for a major Iraqi war crimes case, his lawyer said.

An emotional Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III vowed to be the best Marine he could be while he waits for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces to review his case, defense lawyer Babu Kaza told The Associated Press after leaving the closed hearing at Camp Pendleton.

“He’s packing his things right now,” Kaza said. “He told me there are no words to describe what he is feeling after four years.

“He’s looking forward to calling his family not from jail for the first time in a long time.”

Prosecutors say Hutchins led a squad of seven troops who killed a 52-year-old man in the Iraqi village of Hamdania in 2006, and then planted a shovel and AK-47 to make it appear that he was an insurgent.

A military court in Washington in April ruled Hutchins was not given a fair trial because his lead defense lawyer left the case shortly before his 2007 trial. The Navy is appealing and has sent the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, which can either affirm or overturn the Washington court’s ruling.

Hutchins says he was not with his squad at the time.

The overturning of the conviction and his subsequent release is a major blow to the government’s efforts to prosecute Iraqi war crimes.

Below is a full copy of the Memorandum submitted to the Clemency Board on behalf of PFC Corey Clagett. It came to our attention yesterday, June 8, 2010, that the Board has denied clemency. Please take the time to read the memorandum so you can understand the implications of the Board’s decision.

Read the petition in PDF format.

Crossposted from MarineCorpsTimes.com

SAN DIEGO — The government is appealing the overturning of a Camp Pendleton Marine’s murder conviction in a major Iraqi war crimes case.

The Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps announced Monday that it will send the case of Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III to the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces.

That court can either affirm or reverse the April ruling of the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. The criminal appeals court overturned Hutchins’ conviction, saying he was not given a fair trial because a judge allowed his lead defense attorney to leave shortly before his 2007 trial.

Prosecutors say Hutchins led a squad of seven troops who killed an unarmed man in Hamdania in 2006. The 26-year-old Marine from Plymouth, Mass., was sentenced to 11 years.

To all of Corey’s Supporters:

I was just officially informed that Corey’s petition for clemency was denied in its entirety. I have learned that this decision was forwarded to Fort Leavenworth on Friday, the day after the hearing, rather than the normal two weeks time period. No reason for denial has been given thus far.

I say that this is not the end of the fight, but rather the beginning. I am already preparing for the next steps and, despite this setback, I remain hopeful that eventually justice will prevail. It must.

We are grateful for all the support you have given us throughout this process. Now, Corey and his family need you more than ever. If you can, please take a moment to write Corey a letter and let him know that he is not forgotten. He will soon celebrate his fifth birthday behind bars.

This is just the beginning of the struggle, and one that I refuse to abandon.

Tim Parlatore