Watada Court-Martial Ends in Mistrial [View All]

[nadinbrzezinski]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020707Z.shtml

Watada Court-Martial Ends in Mistrial
By Scott Galindez and Geoffrey Millard
t r u t h o u t | Report

Wednesday 07 February 2007

Fort Lewis, Washington - The court-martial of First Lt. Ehren Watada, a commissioned US Army officer who refused deployment to Iraq on the basis that he believed the war was illegal, has ended in a mistrial, a military court judge ruled Wednesday.

In a stunning defeat for military prosecutors, Lt. Col. John Head, the military judge presiding over Watada's court-martial, said he had no choice but to declare a mistrial because military prosecutors and Watada's defense attorney could not reach an agreement regarding the characterization of a stipulation agreement Watada signed before the start of his court-martial. The government characterizes the stipulation agreement as an admission of guilt by Watada for "missing movement" and making statements against the Iraq war that resulted in charges of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.

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All I can say is WOW!

The prosecutor really screwed up on this one... and this was a mission critical trial for the Army.

Folks there is a slight opening here