Attorney describes Edmond Marine’s defense [Haditha Marine gets standing ovation]

The Oklahoman ^ | November 21, 2008 | JAY F. MARKS

[RedRover]

A Houston defense attorney on Thursday exhorted peers in Oklahoma County to embrace their "special responsibility.”

Jack Zimmerman said it is vital for attorneys to be willing to stand between the government and those overmatched individuals it tries to put in prison.

"When you’re dealing with liberty, and not money, you have a special responsibility,” he said.

Zimmerman on Thursday discussed one of his recent cases — involving a former Edmond Marine accused of murdering civilians in Iraq — at the annual meeting of the Oklahoma County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association at the Cox Convention Center.

He detailed his defense of Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, one of several Marines who faced criminal charges after a Nov. 19, 2005, raid in Haditha, a western Iraq village known as a hotbed of insurgence.

Zimmerman maintained Tatum only did what he was trained to do that day. The case ended in March when military prosecutors dropped all charges against Tatum, who has since left the Marine Corps and is looking to go to college in January.

Tatum, who was at the meeting with his parents, drew a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 150 lawyers and their guests when Zimmerman introduced him as a "hero.”

[RedRover]

I've been saving this for a Thanksgiving post, mostly for the paragraph in bold. I thought members of the Haditha Marine Ping List (for whom I am very thankful) would like to see it.

I had a chance to speak with Jack Zimmermann (second from left in the photo below, flanked by Steve Tatun and his parents) after the event.

Unfortunately for posterity, Zimmermann didn't write a speech. He spoke for from a broad outline, and the presentation went for over 75 minutes. As the story states, it was to a group of defense lawyers, who had invited some prosecutors. There was also a senior federal district judge, the Presiding Judge of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and the incoming Vice-Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, all Marines.

Zimmermann said he also introduced Tatum's parents, who also got a standing ovation.

Zimmermann told me, "I basically illustrated to an enthusiastic audience why good people need good lawyers, and why defense lawyers should never give up. Our current client, 1Lt Michael Behenna, facing murder charges out of Iraq, was represented by his parents. He and LCpl Tatum are both from Edmond, Oklahoma."

Regarding the Behenna case, Zimmermann said, "We’re going to give him the same full-court defense.”

[RedRover]

This ping is dedicated to that prairie flower of feminity, lilycicero, who really knows how to carve a turkey....

[RedRover]

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

And, hey, a buddy of mine in Iraq sent me some photos of their Thanksgiving turkey hunt (see below).

God bless our troops!

[lilycicero]

GOOD STORY.

[dynachrome]

Thanks for the story and happy Thanksgiving. May all of the wrongly accused be home and free for Christmas!

[RedRover]

Happy Thanksgiving to you, dyna, and all infidels, at home and abroad!

[M Kehoe]

John Murtha is a pos, bump.

5.56mm

[RedRover]

I hope you’re enjoying your Hanzo Hattori cutlery this holiday season.

[lilycicero]

Are you having a Turger today?

[Grimmy]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your kith and kin.

Semper Fi.

[bigheadfred]

Turger...turkey burger...

Glad you cleared that up. I thought it was the sound you make when the PUSH is on..

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks for the ping, Red. Praying for all our people in uniform.

[Lancey Howard]

BUMP for excellence!

[stylin19a]

good job, Red There was also a senior federal district judge, the Presiding Judge of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and the incoming Vice-Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, all Marines.

The title "MARINE" - goes deeper than party or politics.

[jazusamo]

Great post and a great story on this Thanksgiving Day.

Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, the Haditha Marines and all their family members deserve that standing ovation.

God Bless them all.

[Girlene]

Tatum, who was at the meeting with his parents, drew a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 150 lawyers and their guests when Zimmerman introduced him as a "hero.”

Beautiful. Outstanding Thanksgiving thread!! Here's another standing Ovation!

[jazusamo]

that prairie flower of feminity, lilycicero, who really knows how to carve a turkey....

It's rumored everyone observing the carving does so from an adjacent room. ;-)

[Gene Eric]

>> Haditha Marine gets standing ovation

Indeed. Thanks for the update Red.

Happy Thanksgiving guys and gals!

[RedRover]

And to yours, Grim!

[RushLake]

No, no, no, no, not God bless John Murtha!

[lilycicero]

I got put on cookie patrol...frosting turkeys.