CAMP PENDLETON: Haditha battalion commander in court next week

North County Times ^ | Friday, April 11, 2008 | Mark Walker

[freema]

Hearing will set stage for start of court-martial of Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani

CAMP PENDLETON ---- The highest-ranking U.S. Marine officer accused of wrongdoing in the wake of the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians in the city of Haditha in 2005 is due to appear in a Camp Pendleton courtroom on Tuesday.

The officer, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, 44, is charged with dereliction of duty and violating a lawful order for failing to order a full-scale investigation into the civilian deaths. He faces up to 30 months in jail and dismissal from the service if convicted and sentenced to the maximum punishment.

Next week's court session could last as long as three days, as his attorneys are scheduled to argue a series of motions in advance of his trial by military court-martial.

One of his attorneys, Brian Rooney of the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., said Friday that Chessani will ask the military judge presiding over next week's hearing to move the trial date from April 28 to mid-June.

More time is needed to interview 47 people that the government added to its potential witness list this week, bringing the number of potential prosecution witnesses to 75.

The defense witness list includes 40 names, including eight character witnesses.

[freema]

REMEMBER THE HADITHA AND HAMDANIA MARINES

[freema]

Ping

[brityank]

Mark is still overplaying the charges, as normal for the biased MSM!

The Haditha killings initially resulted in eight local Marines being charged ---- four enlisted men with murder and four officers for failing to order a probe of what occurred.

Since then, charges have been dropped against three of the enlisted men and two of the officers.

Besides Chessani, the two still facing charges are 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson and Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich.

Will the Chessani team try to get Murtha in to grill? He and McGirk should both be roasted down to charcoal!

[EyeGuy]

Walker has proof that these were all “civilians”?

[Girlene]

More time is needed to interview 47 people that the government added to its potential witness list this week, bringing the number of potential prosecution witnesses to 75.

They just added 47 people to their witness list, this week? Why? Are the prosecutors trying to bore the jury panel into a conviction?

[Just A Nobody]

AGAIN!?!? Enough already!

slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians

[RedRover]

There’s still some hope that Murtha and Hagee will be compelled to testify. The judge has yet to rule on the defense motions. That may come this week.

[brityank]

Well, with President Bush’s AG and admin fighting against it you know that’s going to be another court decision to add more delay to this charade if the judge allows the subpoenas.

[EagleUSA]

What a kangaroo court. Our military is losing good officers and enlisted men over crap like this. And God help our military strength if an anti-military Marxist gets in the White House....the exodus from the military ranks will be staggering.

[jazusamo]

Mark Walker is an idiot or has a bias against these Marines, probably both.

He once again doesn’t mention that some of those “civilians” were armed and trying to kill some of these Marines.

Thanks for the post and ping, Ma.

[jazusamo]

There’s still some hope that Murtha and Hagee will be compelled to testify.

It'll be a sad day if the judge doesn't allow their testimony on the stand after the media feeding frenzy against these Marines due to Fat Jack Murtha's big biased mouth.

[RedRover]

Agreed. If the judge does rule for the defense, God only knows how long the trials will be delayed. We could all be old and doddering at our keyboards by the time this gets underway. (Of course, I’m closer to decrepithood than you young bucks!)

[jazusamo]

(Of course, I’m closer to decrepithood than you young bucks!)

LOL!

I can't speak for brit but the older I get the more I've come to realize you're only as old as you feel and I still feel young. :)

[Girlene]

Well, if the trials are delayed, it will give the defense a chance to interview the new set of 47 witnesses that the prosecution added this week. 47? Seems a bit overdone!

[USMC Brat]

When it dropped the charges [against Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum], the Marine Corps issued a statement saying the dismissal was ordered "in order to continue to pursue the truth-seeking process into the Haditha incident."

And the "truth" is that Haditha did not merit any further investigation at the time according to testimony already on record. The "truth" is that the government is back-peddling on charges that had no merit in the first place.

Murtha should be "made an example of."

[RedRover]

I counted less than 20 witnesses at the Article 32 hearing. Not all those 47 will be called, of course. Maybe the prosecution just wants to keep the defense busy preparing cross-examinations for witnesses who may not appear.

[RedRover]

Amen!

[Semper Fi Mom]

Well - here we go again with another tactic to delay the court-martials (or at least to get Frank’s trial scheduled before any others)!

As for Walker words like “slaying” make my blood boil!

[Marine_Uncle]

It surely is coming down to the wire for this Marine. Hopefully Rooney and staff shall fully convince the judges that this colonel nothing to warrant such a harsh penalty.

[brityank]

LOL !! While my body has celebrated its 25^th Anniversary of my 39^th Birthday -- my mind is still stuck at 18. How I wish it had been the other way 'round !! "Too soon old; too late smart."