Attorney: Accused Camp Pendleton Marine didn't get fair hearing [Hamdania-Related]

North County Times ^ | January 31, 2007 | Mark Walker

[RedRover]

The 2nd Lt Nathan Phan hearing has been a fascinating offshoot to the Hamdania case. Fascinating because it has revealed grave flaws within the NCIS before the trials of the remaining Hamdania Marines and the Haditha Marines has begun.

Two related threads:

NCIS investigative methods come under fire over prosecution of Marine lieutenant

Accused Marine's hearing resumes Friday

[RedRover]

PING!

By the way, The North County Times (whose coverage of the hearings at Pendleton has been superb), serves an intelligent and informed readership. Check out the reader comments sometime.

Let jazusamo or me know if you want on the Haditha Marine Ping List.

[onyx]

Lord have mercy.

[yoe]

2nd Lt Nathan Phan's 'hearing' doesn't pass the smell test. Higher up hand prints all over this...i.e., United States Senate and John Warner. Eating our own is becoming a way of life for the Politically Correct. Phan and his lawyers need our letters and we need to contact our elected about this. Iraq is not a Sunday School picnic, it is war. Tying the hands of our warriors and giving the enemy the upper hand is de rigueur…a similar situation is that of the Border Guards, the court took the word of an illegal alien drug smuggler rather than the guards.

Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis needs to clean this up by firing Pigott and give Phan a new 'hearing'.

[lilycicero]

I love how you start my day off with a PING.
WOW is all I can muster.

[pinkpanther111]

That pigott is a piece of work. eyerolling and sighs from the from the judge. That is inappropriate!!

[There's millions of'em]

Please add me to your list.
Thanks

[RedRover]

You're in. Welcome aboard!

[RedRover]

Hiya, pink! I will follow Pigott's future career with keen interest. (Wonder if he'll wind up as the head of one of Murtha's charities?) ;)

[xzins]

Good info.

I totally agree that the interrogations should be recorded. It was so bad at one of the posts I was stationed at that the Battalion Commander called all the troops together and simply told them that they were idiots ever to talk to CID, and double idiots for waiving their rights.

He said, "Listen to what they're saying, They 'can and WILL' use anything you say...That's not just something they have to read. They're making you a promise."

There's something wrong that some lieutenant, probably in his 20's, is going to face 20+ years in prison because we stuck them in a hot zone, left them on their own, and then came back to 2d guess them. It is an amazing thing to me.

[pinkpanther111]

I think I will do a post on this article and highlight pigott...

[RedRover]

Yoe, I couldn’t agree with you more about your entire post.

This is not a time when patriots can be silent. At the very least, David Sheldon should hear a rousing “thank you” from anyone who cares about due process for men who volunteered to serve their country.

For convenience, here is Mr. Sheldon’s home page.

David Sheldon, Esquire

[RedRover]

Don't forget to send me a link! ;)

[RedRover]

Hi, onyx! In a way, it's good for this to surface during a hearing rather during than one of the upcoming trials. Sheldon is doing some heavy lifting that will benefit the defense in all upcoming cases.

[onyx]

I like to think that the military gets it right, but sadly and disgustingly, that is not the case.

[jazusamo]

If you would like to help with the civilian lawyer’s legal fees for the
Haditha Marines you can do so by going to these sites.

Defend Our Marines

Marine Defense Fund

[RaceBannon]

This is a taste of what I was talking about.....

[Girlene]

Pinkpanther111 wrote, "That pigott is a piece of work. eyerolling and sighs from the from the judge. That is inappropriate!!"

Agreed. I wonder if any of these hearings are videotaped. That would make for some good news footage to show the demeanor of the presiding authority (Pigott). How old is Pigott - 16?

Brings back memories of the debate between VP Gore and Pres. elect Bush. VP Gore looked and sounded like a fool, but it was fun to watch.

I would love to see this 2 page memo that atty Sheldon wrote to Pigott.

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for the ping Red.

[RedRover]

I would love to see this 2 page memo that atty Sheldon wrote to Pigott.

Wonder if his office would release it? Maybe not if it was official memo that was leaked from an "unnamed source" (two can play that game!).