Posted on 05/27/2005 6:58:52 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN DIEGO - A military jury acquitted a Navy SEAL lieutenant Friday of beating an Iraqi prisoner who later died and of lying about what happened.
Jurors deliberated about three hours before finding Lt. Andrew K. Ledford not guilty of all charges. The 32-year-old SEAL had faced up to 11 years in military prison if he had been convicted of assault, dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer and making false statements.
Ledford, who had stood at attention for the verdict's reading, burst into a huge smile and embraced his attorney upon hearing he was acquitted. He later brushed away tears and shook hands with the prosecutors.
"I think that's what makes this country great is that there is a system in place and it works," he said outside court.
Through his attorney, Ledford said he plans to continue serving as a SEAL. He has been selected for the rank of lieutenant commander, a promotion that was placed on hold pending the trial's outcome.
The 1995 U.S. Naval Academy graduate served as a Marine officer before joining the Navy's elite Sea, Air, Land or SEAL teams. He now lives in Hawaii and co-pilots a mini-sub used to deliver commandos ashore and retrieve them on covert missions.
Ledford's family, including his pregnant wife, wiped away tears as several SEALs who had served with him in Iraq applauded the verdict.
The jury was comprised of six Navy officers, including one SEAL who served as foreman. All six work at SEAL headquarters in Coronado, outside San Diego, under the command of Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, the top SEAL. A conviction would have required guilty votes from at least four of the six members.
Navy prosecutors left the courtroom without commenting.
"I hope that someone receives a message from this outcome," Ledford's civilian attorney, Frank Spinner, told reporters. "That we have valiant warriors, brave SEALs, who put their lives on the line and they're human."
Prosecutors said that Ledford failed as a leader on a November 2003 mission after he and his men captured Manadel al-Jamadi, a suspect in the bombing of Red Cross offices in Baghdad that killed 12.
During a brief stop at an Army base, members of Ledford's SEAL platoon testified that they punched, kicked and struck al-Jamadi with muzzles of their rifles. Instead of ordering his men to halt the beating, Ledford accepted a subordinate's offer to "give this turd a knock" and punched the bound prisoner in the arm, Navy prosecutor Lt. Chad Olcott said.
No witnesses who appeared during the five-day court martial testified that they saw Ledford strike al-Jamadi. The only evidence of the punch came in Ledford's own sworn statement last year to Navy criminal investigators. On the witness stand Thursday, Ledford denied punching the detainee.
Spinner said the CIA should fully disclose its role in the case.
Al-Jamadi died shortly after the SEALs turned him over to the CIA while he was being interrogated in Abu Ghraib prison. Prosecutors presented no evidence linking Ledford to the detainee's death.
"It's seems to me that there are questions yet to be answered about the death of al-Jamadi and only people at the CIA can answer those questions," Spinner said.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press show al-Jamadi died while suspended by his wrists, which were handcuffed behind his back.
The CIA has forwarded its investigation to the U.S. Justice Department for possible prosecution. No charges have been filed against anyone at the CIA.
Eight SEALs and one sailor who served under Ledford have received administrative punishments for abusing al-Jamadi and other detainees.
Ledford had posed for a picture hoisting a can of Red Bull energy drink as he and his men gathered around al-Jamadi in the back of a Humvee, and he testified that he regretted having done so.
"This case represents nothing more than prosecutorial excess as a result of the pictures and abuses that occurred at Abu Ghraib," Spinner told the jury during his closing argument.
Ledford's father, Kenneth, a retired Army colonel, said he was surprised the case against his son got as far as it did.
"I know my son. I know the kind of character he has," Kenneth Ledford said. "I know leadership, and my son has it."
Great news.
Good News, the UCMJ works.
Yippeee!!! Hooray for Ledford!! Thank God the military still protects its own. I still its awful he had to go through so much. At least he can move forward with his life and career.
redrock
bout time...
It's over so let's hope some grandstanding prosecutor doesn't try to get him on something else to please the pc crowd.
The prisoner died at the hands of the CIA. I think this was a case of some spooks passing the buck on to that unfortunate Lt.
Wonderful news!
One more spawn of Satan earns his dirt nap. Allah-TFB. Lt. Ledford and his SEAL team, and the rest of our brave forces should be decorated for snuffing these cockroaches instead of being subjected to this nonsense.
Military justice BTTT!
Somehow, someway we have got to get the PC ACLU TYPES out of the military.
It astounds me that we have to check with the staff LAWYER to get the green light of sensitive operations during a time of war. It is NUTS!!!
Great news that he is aquitted and great news that the prisoner is dead
Go Navy!
Agreed. He should have never been charged. The prosecutor would be a Naval Officer--what was he thinking? To bring charges on no more than they had, at a time of war, strikes me as a dereliction of duty on the prosecutors part.
Thanks for the ping!
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