Crossposted from Defend Our Marines

“Hutchins Motion”in the SSgt Wuterich Case

by Nathaniel R. Helms | August 28, 2010

Read the Loss of Counsel, Hutchins Motion (pdf).

The government’s case against the last Marine standing in the so-called “Haditha Massacre” debacle may run aground on the rocks and shoals of Marine Corps legal precedence, said his leading civilian attorney.

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Crossposted from Seattle Times Newspaper

Additional charges have been filed against five Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers accused of involvement in one or more of the murders of Afghan civilians in January, February and May of this year. These charges result from the investigation into the three murders as well as an assault on a U.S. soldier in their platoon. Charges also have been filed against seven other soldiers from the brigade.

Additional charges have been filed against five Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers accused of involvement in one or more of the alleged murders of Afghan civilians in January, February and May of this year.

All five are part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd infantry Division that went to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009 and returned this summer. In July the outfit was renamed the 2nd (Stryker) Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

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Crossposted from Seattle Times Newspaper

In one of the most serious war-crimes cases to emerge from the Afghanistan war, five soldiers from a Stryker infantry brigade based at Joint Base Lewis- McChord are now charged with murder for their alleged roles in the random killings of three Afghan civilians.

By Hal Bernton

Seattle Times staff reporter

Spc. Jeremy Morlock

Last December, Army Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs began joking with other soldiers about how easy it would be to “toss a grenade” at Afghan civilians and kill them, according to statements made by fellow platoon members to military investigators.

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Justice! Innocent until proven guilty! The right to a fair trial!

These are basic civilian rights our warriors have sworn to defend. These are also the rights our soldiers are not guaranteed while serving in our country’s military. A military defendant is “presumed guilty” and must prove his or her own innocence. Left with the burden of not only finding adequate legal representation, but also paying for it.

While our enemies are given civilian rights, provided with teams of attorneys paid for with our tax dollars, and given civilian trials; our warriors are read their Article 31 Rights on the battle field, and now sit in prison. They are not given court appointed attorneys. Their families must beg, borrow and mortgage their homes in order to retain an attorney that will defend their loved ones from the very country, for many generations, our sons and daughters have proudly fought and died for.

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