Tucson GI spurred Iraq rape-murder charges

Arizona Daily Star ^ | 09.14.2006 | Carol Ann Alaimo

[petitfour]

As moral dilemmas go, the quandary faced by Tucson soldier Justin Watt was about as gut-wrenching as it gets. A few months ago, the 23-year-old Army private first class began to suspect that fellow soldiers — his "brothers" as he called them — had killed an innocent Iraqi family after raping a 14-year-old girl. Watt thought of all the hell his platoon had endured together in the hostile neighborhoods around Baghdad. For nine months, they'd been dodging bullets and grieving side by side as one member after another was killed in action. But in the end, Watt — who attended Academy High School in Tucson — decided he couldn't live with himself if he didn't come forward with information he received from fellow soldiers.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

"A few months ago, the 23-year-old Army private first class began to suspect that fellow soldiers — his "brothers" as he called them — had killed an innocent Iraqi family after raping a 14-year-old girl. "

Sounds like he guessed and knew nothing.

[Gordongekko909]

A few months ago, the 23-year-old Army private first class began to suspect that fellow soldiers — his "brothers" as he called them — had killed an innocent Iraqi family after raping a 14-year-old girl.

Sounds like speculation and/or hearsay to me.

[Mad Dash]

decided he couldn't live with himself if he didn't come forward with information he received from fellow soldiers.

Good for you Mr. Watt - Drag your Buddies through the dirt and undermine our efforts in the Middle East on hearsay. /s

[tx_eggman]

Sounds like he guessed and knew nothing

Sounds like he might have heard them shooting their mouths off and stepped up to do the right thing.

If heard your 'brothers' talking about having done what is alleged what would you do?

[ModelBreaker]

decided he couldn't live with himself if he didn't come forward with information he received from fellow soldiers.

If the alleged perps told him they did bad things, it's either not hearsay or an exception to the hearsay rule. It will come into evidence.

[Gordongekko909]

Yeah, that's the "Against punitive interests" exception. But the use of the word "suspect" in the description seems to rule that out.

[onedoug]

Go through the Chain Of Command.

[Paige]

Actually, this will depend on the Lawyers and the Judge residing over the case. Hearsay is rarely admissible in court under such circumstances.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

"Sounds like he might have heard them shooting their mouths off and stepped up to do the right thing."

He said he suspected!

[OldFriend]

He 'SUSPECTED'...........I'll say nothing more.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

If heard your 'brothers' talking about having done what is alleged what would you do?

Exactly. If he heard his fellow soldiers actually discussing rape and murder, he had no choice but to report it. No decent human being could do otherwise.

[tx_eggman]

Go through the Chain Of Command.

Ding, ding, ding ... we have a winner. And that's what he did, went to his superiors.

[AmericaUnited]

If I knew for certain that that they had premeditatedly killed the family and girl, just so they could cover up raping her, I WOULD TURN THEM IN WITH EXTREME MALICE, since those actions are a heinous form of evil, no different at all than the evil we are fighting against.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

It's amazing how ANYONE would try to trash this guy for doing the right thing.

[sean327]

If he heard members of his platoon talking about this, he had a duty to come forward. The DUmmies think the military covers this crap up. PFC Watt is proof that we don't. He did the right thing here. What else was he supposed to do?

[Mad Dash]

OK, I'll reserve judgment. The way the article presents it..it sounds like he "overheard" something - or was told something second-hand

If the Soldier was POSITIVE, he should speak out, of course.

[Mad Dash]

You are right.

I posted my #17, before I got your #16.

[ModelBreaker]

Actually, this will depend on the Lawyers and the Judge residing over the case. Hearsay is rarely admissible in court under such circumstances.

I've tried a lot of cases. Never have I had difficulty admitting statements by my opponent's client. The hearsay rule doesn't keep it out. Ever.

These statements will be admitted if the defendants said them and if they are relevant to the issues in the case. Depending on the applicable law, statements by a party are either not hearsay at all or are subject to a hearsay exception. If they bragged about raping a girl, it would also comes in as an admission against interest exception to the hearsay rule, regardless whether you are a party or not.

The only way to keep this out is if a judge rules that the prejudicial value outweighs the probative value. That rarely happens when a defendant has made statements implicating themselves in a crime. (The big exception to this statement is when the statement is made to the police and then the whole Miranda nonsense comes into effect. I don't see that being a factor here.)

[Paperdoll]

Hey! In war, stuff happens. Always has and always will. However, I don't believe this guy for a minute. From what I understand these men responded to a house from which they were fired upon, after their buddy in the vehicle in front of them was blown up. This all happened in an area renowned for being heavily populated with the enemy.