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In the nearly two years since eight Camp Pendleton Marines were charged with killing 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha, six of the men have been exonerated, and widespread interest in the case has waned. Still, the final chapters in the 2005 killings that reverberated around the world, affected the military's rules of engagement and played a large role in how the war was viewed have yet to be written. Appellate court hearings for the two remaining defendants over the next month will establish the outline of how Haditha's story will end. One of the defendants is the battalion commander at...

Reinstating or restarting charges against a Marine officer over the military firefight in Haditha, Iraq, in which two dozen Iraqis died could do serious damage to the public's confidence in the military system of justice, according to lawyers for the officer. "Unlawful command influence is 'the mortal enemy of military justice.' It is the acid that erodes an accused's right to receive a fair trial and the public's confidence in the fairness of the system," says a legal brief filed by lawyers working on behalf of Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani. "Remarkably, throughout the court-martial proceedings in the case, the government...

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center, a national, public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, yesterday filed its answer brief in response to the prosecution’s appeal of the Military Judge’s ruling, dismissing the case against LtCol Jeffrey Chessani, USMC based on unlawful command influence.

Thomas More Law Center Answers Prosecutor's Appeal in LtCol Chessani Case ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center, a national, public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, yesterday filed its answer brief in response to the prosecution's appeal of the Military Judge's ruling, dismissing the case against LtCol Jeffrey Chessani, USMC based on unlawful command influence.  In its brief, the Law Center responded to the prosecution's arguments, noting, "Unlawful command influence is 'the mortal enemy of military justice.'  It is the acid that erodes an accused's right to receive a fair trial and the public's...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- A judge abused his power when he dismissed dereliction of duty charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani in the 2005 slaying of two dozen Iraqi civilians, according to an appeal filed on behalf of the Marine Corps. Navy Lt. Timothy Delgado argues the charges against Chessani should stand because the judge erred in declaring that Marine Gen. James Mattis was illegally influenced in his handling of the case. At issue is whether Mattis was guilty of "unlawful command influence" because he allowed his top legal aide, Col. John Ewers, to sit in on meetings with prosecutors. Ewers...

Marine Corps prosecutors have asked a military appeals court to reverse a lower court decision to dismiss criminal charges against the highest ranking officer to face criminal charges in the so-called “Haditha Massacre” affair. The incident occurred on November 19, 2005 at Haditha, Iraq after one Marine was killed and two others from a squad of 12 infantrymen were wounded by a remotely detonated roadside bomb. During the Marines’ counterattack against the hidden assailants 24 Iraqis, including 15 civilians, were killed in the cross-fire. The government seeks to reinstate criminal charges of dereliction of duty and orders violations against...

ANN ARBOR, MI – In Iraq, LtCol Jeffrey Chessani, one of America’s most effective combat commanders, led the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines — one of the Marine Corps’ most decorated units. After devoting over 20 years of his life to the Corps, and three tours of duty in Iraq, he was criminally charged by government prosecutors for the combat action taken by four of his Marines who engaged insurgents in a fierce house-to-house, room-by-room battle, after being ambushed in Haditha, Iraq on November 19, 2005. On June 17, 2008 Military Judge, Col Steven Folsom, USMC, dismissed all charges against LtCol...

Positive action in support of Lt Chessani We brought you the story of Lt Col Jeffrey Chessani facing serious charges based on a Time story in which Congressman John Murtha made unfounded allegations against eight Marines, one of whom was Lt Col. Chessani.Lt. Col Chessani had his honour and reputation called into question because Murtha said that in a town called Haditha in Iraq, civilians were killed by US Marines "in cold blood". This event was in November 2005, and it has been a long and sad road to June 17, 2008 when a military judge, Col. Steven Folsom...

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center, a national non-profit, public-interest law based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, today released the transcript of the recent Unlawful Command Influence ruling by the military judge — Colonel Steven A. Folsom — dismissing all charges against LtCol Jeffrey Chessani, USMC. The Law Center represents LtCol Chessani. Last week, prosecutors suffered a huge setback when the military judge dismissed all charges against LtCol Chessani, the highest ranking Marine officer facing charges arising out of the Battle of Haditha. The government has indicated that it intends to pursue an appeal, which will continue the...

Now, "the focus is upon the perception of fairness in the military justice system as viewed through the eyes of a reasonable member of the public. Thus the appearance of unlawful command influence will exist where an objective, disinterested observer fully informed of all the facts and circumstances would harbor a significant doubt about the fairness of the proceedings." That's U.S. v. Lewis, 63 MJ 405, at 414, 2006, CAAF. "Where actual or apparent unlawful command influence has been held or found, CAAF has long held that a military judge has wide latitude in discretion of fashioning a remedy. CAAF...

Justice: The latest Haditha Marine to be exonerated is considering suing Rep. John Murtha for calling him a cold-blooded killer. Will Barack Obama be a character witness for saying Murtha knows his stuff? If you hadn't heard, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani is the seventh of the Haditha 8 to either be acquitted or have charges dismissed regarding the deaths of civilians in the town of Haditha, Iraq, on Nov. 19, 2005. Mainstream media and liberal Democrats, if that's not redundant, are more preoccupied these days with protecting the rights of terrorists, even Osama bin Laden, to habeas corpus and other...

With most of the eight Marines charged in the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a lawsuit against Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men cold-blooded killers.

With most of the eight Marines charged in the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a lawsuit against Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men cold-blooded killers. In an interview with nationally syndicated radio talk host Michael Savage, the lead attorney for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani said he and his client will look into suing Murtha and the Time magazine reporter, Tim McGuirk, who first published the accusations by Iraqi insurgents. But the attorney, Brian Rooney, said nothing will happen immediately because he wants Chessani, described as a...

CAMP PENDELTON ---- The Marine Corps is appealing a judge's ruling dismissing dereliction of duty charges against a battalion commander accused of failing to investigate the 2005 shooting deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians. On Tuesday, Col. Steven Folsom, presiding as the military judge over the case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, ordered the charges dismissed after finding that a general was improperly influenced by a legal adviser who also is a witness in the case. The watershed ruling found that the legal adviser, Col. John Ewers, should not have sat in on meetings and discussions with two generals who have...

Yet another US Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre - bringing the total number of Marines who've been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq war incident to seven. In Chessani's case, the military judge found that Gen. James Mattis had succumbed to impermissible outside meddling in bringing charges. Bottom line: Zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. But you won't see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font The New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke. The Times, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa)...

Yet another U.S. Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre -- bringing the total number of Marines who've been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq war incident to seven. "Undue command influence" on the prosecution led to the outcome in Chessani's case. Bottom line: That's zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. I repeat: Haditha prosecution goes 0-7. But you won't see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font The New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke. The Times, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa,...

TSN pinging bumps!!!!!!!!!

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Jack Murtha alert, big news, ladies and gentlemen: "A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis. Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement. Chessani was the highest-ranking officer implicated in the...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis. Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement. Chessani was the highest-ranking officer implicated in the case.

Today's Savage Nation Thread. Borders, language, culture.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani is the latest Marine to turn out not to be a "cold-blooded killer" that the media and Democratic politicians painted Marines charged with the Haditha "massacre" to be. This two weeks after another Marine was acquitted in a Haditha court martial. FoxNews.com has the AP story about the dismissal of charges against him here.: CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - A military judge dismissed charges Tuesday against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis. Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after finding that a four-star general overseeing the...

ANN ARBOR, MI – Military Judge Colonel Steven Folsom, USMC, this morning dismissed all charges against Lt Colonel Jeffrey Chessani on the grounds of unlawful command influence. He blistered the prosecution’s case in an opinion he read from the bench that lasted an hour. The ruling was without prejudice. Colonel Folsom gave prosecutors 72 hours in which to notify him whether they would appeal. The ruling was greeted with tears of joy from Chessani’s wife and several spectators in the courtroom.

no link yet, just the banner

Attorneys for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, the final officer facing charges for the 2005 killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha, believe they may be on the verge of having his case dismissed. It's risky business, of course, trying to guess what's in a judge's mind, in the civilian or military system. But Chessani's lawyers think the military judge, Col. Steven Folsom, may have signaled that he plans to grant the defense motion to dismiss the case because of undue command influence. Initially, Folsom had scheduled two days in his Camp Pendleton courtroom this week to hear pretrial motions in the...

ANN ARBOR, MI – Military Judge Colonel Steven Folsom, USMC, will issue his ruling on the crucial Unlawful Command Influence motion brought by LtCol Jeffrey Chessani’s defense counsel in a Camp Pendleton, California, courtroom on Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at 9:00am PST. Col Folsom had originally scheduled hearings in Chessani’s case to last for three days, June 16–18. However, in an announcement that might prove to be significant to the Chessani case, Col Folson indicated late last week that he will announce his decision on the defense motion to dismiss on June 17 in a hearing that should last approximately...

Attorneys representing Marine Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani will find out June 16 whether the presiding judge in the “Haditha Massacre” case will grant a defense motion to dismiss his charges because of undue command influence. If Folsom denies the defense motion Chessani will stand general court-martial July 21 for alleged dereliction of duty and orders violations, said Richard Thompson, chief counsel of the civilian law firm representing him. The veteran combat Marine is the highest ranking officer to be charged with a crime in the discredited massacre investigation. Four enlisted men and three officers under his command were also charged...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- Military prosecutors will call on Marine Gen. James Mattis to testify Monday about whether a lower-ranking officer improperly influenced his decision to file criminal charges against a Marine tied to the killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha, a civilian defense attorney said Friday. Mattis is in charge of U.S. Joint Forces Command, and also is the supreme allied commander in charge of military modernization for NATO. It is rare for a four-star general to testify in a court-martial or pretrial proceedings. Lt. Col. Sean Gibson, a Marine Corps spokesman for the Haditha trials, would not confirm...

ANN ARBOR, MI – Military prosecutors are expected to call as their witness General James N. Mattis, a highly respected Marine officer and one of only a handful of four-star Marine generals, to testify in the court-martial hearing against LtCol Jeffrey Chessani on June 2, 2008, at Camp Pendleton, California. http://www.thomasmore.org/qry/page.taf?id=63

ANN ARBOR, MI – Prosecutors yesterday hit a major speed bump in their rush to convict Marine LtCol Jeffrey Chessani when the Military Judge ruled that he found evidence of unlawful command influence. Courts consider unlawful command influence the “mortal enemy of military justice.” Although the case is far from over, yesterday’s ruling now forces prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that: (1) the facts upon which the unlawful command influence is based are untrue; (2) those facts do not constitute unlawful command influence; or (3) the unlawful command influence will not affect the proceedings. The Unlawful Command Influence...

The court-martial of the highest ranking Marine Corps officer accused of crimes in the infamous incident at Haditha, Iraq will face further delays if the Military Court of Appeals grants motions filed there by his defense team today. The Thomas More Law Center that represents Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani announced today that it has filed a “Petition for Extraordinary Relief” with the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals in Washington, D.C on his behalf. The petition asks the military appellate court to reverse the judge’s order denying the defense counsel’s request for evidence it deems essential to his...

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center announced today that it has filed a “Petition for Extraordinary Relief” with the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals in Washington, D.C.

ANN ARBOR, MI – Amid the flurry of arguments in the hearing on several motions earlier in the month, comments by military judge, Colonel Stephen Folsom, USMC, has shed some light on how he will conduct the trial of Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Chessani. According to the judge, it makes no difference whether the Marines in LtCol Chessani’s battalion did or did not kill civilians in cold blood – the issue for the jury will be whether LtCol Chessani should have reasonably suspected his Marines killed civilians in cold blood. “The judge’s theory introduces coherence to the trial. It will...

To forestall exactly the kind of adverse media reports like the specious Time magazine story that led to the disastrous “Haditha Massacre” show trials, the 1st Marine Division created the Reportable Incident Assessment Team. Their mission was to generate positive publicity and for immediate damage control in the event the media uncovered potentially damaging stories about Marine Corps combat operations in Iraq. One important function of the damage control team was to “afford the Commanding General with a specific means to counteract media backlash,” unclassified RIAT documents show. The Reportable Incident Assessment Team – usually referred to simply as RIAT...

ANN ARBOR, MI – Military prosecutors are desperately fighting to prevent the testimony of Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winters and several top Marine Generals, including former Marine Commandant Michael Hagee and the current Commandant James Conway. The requested witnesses will show the dirty hand of unlawful command influence—considered by the courts as the “mortal enemy of military justice.” The hearing on the motion to produce the testimony of these high ranking officials will begin tomorrow morning at Camp Pendleton, California. The Unlawful Command Influence motion (click here to read motion in pdf) was one of...

The Thomas More Law Center has issued an extremely troubling release suggesting former SecDef Rumsfeld was involved in politically influencing the Haditha investigation: Revelations by top Marine Generals, that former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, set up a shadow "body" composed of high-ranking administration officials to oversee the Haditha investigations, could prove to be the most damning evidence of the political motivations and influence over the ongoing prosecutions of Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani, USMC, and other combat Marines involved.Lawyers with the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which represents Marine LtCol...

Marines Fight "Domestic" Enemies By Ros Prynn March 16, 2008 Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani is a 19 year veteran of the US Marine Corps, with tours of duty in Panama, the Persian Gulf and three tours of Iraq. He is also a man whose well documented, and heroic, career is on hold right now because of the accusations of one man: John Murtha, American congressman, who went on national television and accused the Marines of killing innocent civilians in cold blood. Lt. Col. Chessani swore an oath on joining the military to defend America against all "enemies, foreign and domestic"....

Marine Lt. Colonel Chessani Thrown Under the Bus for Political Reasons; Fair Trial an IllusionMarch 05, 2008 ANN ARBOR, MI – “Military Judge Colonel Stephen Folsom’s, USMC, ruling yesterday refusing our request to take the deposition of Congressman John Murtha, D-PA, is the latest indication that it will be impossible for Marine Lt. Colonel Chessani to get a fair trial regarding November 19, 2005, Haditha incident,” said Richard Thompson, Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, the Ann Arbor, Michigan based public interest law firm defending Lt. Col. Chessani. “This entire prosecution is politically motivated and stinks to high...

ANN ARBOR, MI – “Military Judge Colonel Stephen Folsom’s, USMC, ruling yesterday refusing our request to take the deposition of Congressman John Murtha, D-PA, is the latest indication that it will be impossible for Marine Lt. Colonel Chessani to get a fair trial regarding November 19, 2005, Haditha incident,� said Richard Thompson, Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, the Ann Arbor, Michigan based public interest law firm defending Lt. Col. Chessani. “This entire prosecution is politically motivated and stinks to high heaven. Denying us the right to take Murtha’s deposition so that we could show undue command...

It has been awhile since I have had much of an update on this situation.  But I wanted to let everyone know, we may need to get some more help for Lt. Colonel Chessani. If you are not familiar with the story, then go here and here for a quick intel dump so you know. But it seems that the Lt. Col, who is on trial for his life and career, for not investigating something that never happened, should tell you something about what is going on in a larger sense in our fight against the Islamofascists. And it should...

ANN ARBOR, MI – Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani, USMC, will be arraigned in a Camp Pendleton courtroom on Friday, November 16, 2007, at 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time almost two years to the date of the anniversary of the so-called “Haditha Massacre.” Chessani faces criminal charges that he failed to properly report and investigate a possible “law of war” violation stemming from a November 19, 2005, house-to-house battle involving four Marines from LtCol Chessani’s battalion. If convicted, LtCol Chessani faces 2 ½ years imprisonment, dismissal (dishonorable discharge) from the Marine Corps, and loss of all retirement benefits. The Thomas More...

High-ranking government officials in the United States pre-judged the criminal case against Marines involved in the 2005 Haditha incident in Iraq, said the Thomas More Law Center, which is co-defending the commanding officer charged in the case. U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani was arraigned Nov. 17 at Camp Pendleton on charges of dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order for allegedly failing to investigate the conduct of four Marines under his command after a Nov. 19, 2005 house-to-house battle in Haditha. In that battle, 24 Iraqis were killed, 15 of whom allegedly were noncombatant civilians. (See Haditha...

ANN ARBOR, MI – Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani, USMC, will be arraigned in a Camp Pendleton courtroom on Friday, November 16, 2007, at 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time almost two years to the date of the anniversary of the so-called “Haditha Massacre.� Chessani faces criminal charges that he failed to properly report and investigate a possible “law of war� violation stemming from a November 19, 2005, house-to-house battle involving four Marines from LtCol Chessani’s battalion. If convicted, LtCol Chessani faces 2 ½ years imprisonment, dismissal (dishonorable discharge) from the Marine Corps, and loss of all retirement benefits. The Thomas...

Trial Date Set for Highest Ranking Marine Charged in the "Haditha Massacre"Iraqi Insurgents Handed a VictoryANN ARBOR, MI ─ The Thomas More Law Center announced today that the trial of Marine Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani, one of America’s most effective combat commanders in Iraq, is preliminarily scheduled to begin on April 28, 2008. LtCol Chessani is charged with failing to accurately report and investigate an incident that occurred in Haditha, Iraq on November 19, 2005, dubbed "the Haditha massacre." If convicted – this 20 year veteran and father of 5 young children (and a sixth expected shortly) who served 3...

It's an injustice that is sure to adversely impact the morale of our U.S. Marines fighting in Iraq. The senseless sacrifice of a fine officer and combat leader, Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, may satisfy the "PC" wimps at the Pentagon, but it undermines and demoralizes officers and men who must make split-second decisions in combat that often spell the difference between life and death. Chessani, 42, the former commander of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, wasn't even at Haditha when the shootings took place. November 19, 2005 was the date when a patrol of Marines were ambushed with a...

We'll Sue Murtha, Chessani Lawyer Vows Tuesday, August 28, 2007 5:22 PM If Marine Col. Jeffrey Chessani is exonerated of the charges against him he may haul Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha, into court, suing him for libel, one of his lawyers told NewsMax.com. Brian Rooney, one of the attorneys at Michigan's Thomas More Law Center representing Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani and a former Marine captain himself told NewsMax.com that his client, who is alleged to have failed to fully investigate the killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha November, 2005 and not reporting an alleged Law of War violation, may...

Law firm will consider legal action against Rep. John Murtha Chad Groening OneNewsNow.com August 27, 2007 A Christian law firm hopes that once its client is cleared of charges in connection with the so-called Haditha massacre, it will consider legal action against one of the men responsible for the accusations: Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha. The Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center is representing Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani (USMC), who has been charged with not fully investigating the events at Haditha, Iraq, and failing to report a Law of War violation, in the aftermath of the November 19, 2005, incident that led...

 Tue, Aug 7, 2007 Impending Clash in Haditha Case; Thomas More Law Center Calls Re-Opened Article 32 Hearing a Sham ANN ARBOR, MI - The ordered reopening of Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Chessani’s Article 32 Hearing scheduled to begin this Wednesday, without making any of the requested defense witnesses available, has been called “a sham� by the Thomas More Law Center. The order for a new hearing limited the hearing to only three days, beginning on Wednesday, August 8, 2007, and ending no later than Friday August 10, 2007. The impending clash is connected to the refusal of Government prosecutors...

===== http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/7/13/132934.shtml?s=lh Gen. McInerney: Treatment of Haditha Commander 'Despicable' Phil Brennan, NewsMax.com Friday, July 13, 2007 Retired Air Force Gen. Thomas McInerney is outraged at the recommendation by an investigating officer that Marine Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Chessani face a court martial for his actions during the Nov. 19, 2005 incident in Haditha, Iraq that left 24 Iraqi civilians and insurgents dead. In an exclusive interview with NewsMax.com the general, who served 35 years in the United States Air Force as a pilot, commander, and Joint Force commander, called the court martial recommendation by Col. Christopher Conlin "despicable." Said McInerney, "I'm...

Retired Air Force Gen. Thomas McInerney is outraged at the recommendation by an investigating officer that Marine Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Chessani face a court martial for his actions during the Nov. 19, 2005 incident in Haditha, Iraq that left 24 Iraqi civilians and insurgents dead. In an exclusive interview with NewsMax.com the general, who served 35 years in the United States Air Force as a pilot, commander, and Joint Force commander, called the court martial recommendation by Col. Christopher Conlin "despicable." Said McInerney, "I'm deeply disappointed that the investigating officer did not bring sound operational logic to this problem. It...