Posted on 04/26/2008 4:38:16 AM PDT by RedRover
WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii (AP) — A court-martial panel on Friday found a Hawaii-based soldier not guilty in the killing of an unarmed Iraqi during a raid on a suspected insurgent hideout last year.
Sgt. 1st Class Trey Corrales' friends and family erupted in cheers when the head of the military panel, or jury, read the verdict.
The jury of nine soldiers acquitted Corrales of all three charges, including premeditated murder, after more than seven hours of deliberation.
Corrales would have faced a minimum sentence of life in prison if he had been convicted.
Corrales said it feels like a 200-pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"I felt confident. I know this is going to sound weird but I wasn't surprised," Corrales said. "But it was just a long time coming."
Corrales' wife, Lily, told their daughter Victoria, 7, "Your daddy's free! He's OK" moments after the verdict was read.
The sergeant held his 10-year-old son, Trey II, in a long embrace.
Corrales, 35, admitted to shooting the man after his platoon burst into a house in the village of Al Saheed near Kirkuk last June. The platoon was looking for insurgents they suspected of firing at U.S. helicopters and planting roadside bombs.
But Corrales argued the killing fell within the rules of engagement governing the use of deadly force. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
The prosecution argued the Army platoon sergeant deliberately shot and killed the man after he was subdued and securely in the custody of U.S. soldiers. Prosecutors said Corrales told the man to run and then shot him.
But Frank Spinner, Corrales' defense lawyer, cast doubt on the credibility of the prosecution witnesses and said the government failed to prove the bullets from Corrales' M4 killed the man.
"There are pieces of the puzzle that are missing," Spinner said during his closing argument. He said the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Spinner said Corrales fired his weapon because he reasonably believed the man posed a threat to the platoon.
"This was a dynamic environment, an intense mission and he believed he was acting to protect his men," Spinner said.
The incident came about 11 months into a 15 month deployment for Corrales' 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division based at Hawaii's Schofield Barracks.
So, do they just have smarmy lawyers tucked into the country all over Iraq, watching for some Marine to kill an ‘innocent’ guy and bring charges? ACLU lawyers or something? I have never seen anything as ridiculous as bringing these soldiers up on charges of KILLING.
And, of course, acquitals defeat the purpose of show trials. That’ll do more than anything to end these prosecutions.
well, he is wearing a class b uniform. but I think the berets should only be worn with the a/b uniform looks a hell of a lot better than the c cap. but the new A's will be authorized soon NCOs will have the bus drivers cap.
When pigs fly...
Congratulations to Sgt. Corrales!
Wonderful news for this Saturday morning!
Good to see military panels are smarter than PC prosecutors in cases like this.
Pretty much.
ACLU lawyers or something?<.i>
Again, pretty much. During the 1990's when our brilliant, far-sighted civilian leadership was busily spending the "peace dividend" and eviscerating the combat capability of the military in favor of turning it into an "instrument of social change", there was an increased influx of liberal ACLU-types into the non-combat MOS's such as JAG and Information (propaganda, public relations, diversity training, press, etc.) services.
These types have prospered and greatly extended their power and influence in the chain of command, to the detriment of the actual war-fighting components of the military. They basically view their mission not as helping the military fight and win wars, but as "enlightened" watchdogs and guides who have to "fix" the military and "civilize" it.
They are a cancer in the military body and have metasticized so deeply into the chain of command that they now constitute a threat to the military and the nation themselves.
A very good day! Thanks for the heads up.
Congratulations to Sgt. Corrales!
Isn’t that TERRIBLE? Enemies within. Thanks for elaborating.
It's the only way a case can be made out thin air, and I think that recruits should, as part of their training, study the prevalence of this sort of confession/accusation mining, warning them that not only may they one day see their mates blown up around them by the enemy, but that on another, they may be given a choice; to lie about the guy who's been covering their back all those months or spend the rest of their life in prison.
Perhaps this jury recognized the procedure.
Congratulations Sgt Corrales!
Congratulations to Trey, Lily and family. May you now try to get your lives back! God bless you for your courage and stamina!
The folks in San Antonio will be breathing a sigh of relief on his acquital. He has had so many prayers for him & his family.
Great News Bump!
YES!
Excellent news!
Amen, hope your Ranger is home very, very soon (and with some back pay, to boot!).
Its time to stand behind our men
Let's not forget the mile away rule :)
Now they need to overturn the conviction of Chris Shore.
*
Is anyone running against him this time and if so where can we donate?
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