Posted on 04/05/2007 7:57:53 PM PDT by jazusamo
HONOLULU -- Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada has found two new lawyers for his court martial for refusing to go to Iraq.
Watada’s first trial ended in mistrial after three days when the judge said the soldier didn’t fully understand a pretrial agreement. That deal would have cut the Honolulu man’s sentence to four years.
Watada, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., is charged with missing movement and conduct unbecoming an officer. If convicted, he could be sentenced to six years in prison and be dishonorably discharged.
A second court martial is due to begin July 16.
Honolulu-based military defense lawyer Eric Seitz had been representing Watada largely for free. But Seitz said the Seattle law firm Carney Badley Spellman has picked up the case.
“I think the way to put it is I’m not representing him anymore and he’s found another firm,” Seitz said.
Seitz said he has no hard feelings. “My staff is very relieved because we were spending so much time and money on the case,” he said.
Watada’s new Seattle attorneys are Kenneth Kagan and James Lobsenz.
Kagan declined to give a reason for the change.
“That would relate to attorney-client privileged communications,” he told The Associated Press.
The lawyers have already asked for a continuance of an April 23 deadline to submit written motions, Kagan said.
(Excerpt) Read more at thenewstribune.com ...
Watada and the antiwar crowd are milking this for all it's worth, he's a real bum.
Ping!
Most judges make the lawyers certify that the change in counsel isn’t being made for purposes of delay. I wonder if this court has the same requirement.
I don’t know if that’s required in the UCMJ or not but I would think so. Since being involved on the threads regarding the Haditha Marines I’ve found there are differences.
Send him to Gitmo and have him share a cell with a terrorist. Maybe Watada will come to understand why we fight.
That sounds like a good plan to me, Red. I just can’t believe the way this thing is being strung out.
Heya, Bay.
That’s not our former governor as a full partner, is it?
Shoot him, just like Private Slovik.
Spoke breifly with one of the Jags from Ft. Lewis yesterday, but didn’t have time to get the story. Why is this pathetic excuse for a soldier doing free, while we have good men in the brig in Pendleton? I am sickened by the way our govt abuses the patriotic and coddles the traitors.
This Watada is as dumb as a rock.
If he works the system, he'll earn a place in the CLOWN HALL OF FAME.
But he'll never get near the the hall of heroes.
I'll tell ya guys, we don't need no more Watadas.
I couldn’t agree more, this POS is drawing this out for the antiwar crowd and he should definitely be in the Brig. If he was in the Brig, he wouldn’t be drawing it out.
He’s a walking POS that brings disgrace to only himself, Smooth and he seems to revel in it.
Watada is working in some office at Ft. Lewis. He is allowed to go off base up to 250 miles without permission when off duty. He has been attending and speaking at antiwar protests. The last one I know of was in Eugene, OR on the weekend of March 17.
Spending time and money on what???
He ENLISTED...
He refused to deploy...
Six years in the brig and a dishonorable discharge!
This ain't rocket science.
His old attorney, Seitz is about as stupid as they come, IMO. The media and the nutzos tried to make him out a super lawyer but nothing he did was going to help Watada and Watada probably finally realized he’s going to Leavenworth and tubed him.
LOL! He’s still going to go to Leavenworth.
From your lips to God's ear! ;*)
Now and today, I'm amazed no more.
Now and today, I know this, there is an enemy within, just as dangerous as the enemy without.
I wonder now, when I think of those words, "We fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them here", why not fight them here? Heck, if we fight them here, the Watadas who plague us, we're stronger when we fight elsewhere.
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