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Marine sues Murtha for slander (from paper in Murtha's district)
The Daily American ^
| 9-26-08
| Michelle Ganassi
Posted on 09/26/2008 8:14:22 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Last modified: Friday, September 26, 2008 6:02 AM EDT
|
In this photo taken from his official Web site, Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 24, of Canonsburg, waits for his trial to begin. He is suing U.S. Rep. John Murtha for slander, saying the Johnstown congressman presumed him guilty before he had his day in court. (Submitted photo) |
Marine sues Murtha for slander
By MICHELLE GANASSI Daily American Staff Writer A Marine exonerated on murder charges in the Haditha encounter is suing U.S. Rep. John Murtha for convicting him in the media before his day in court.
Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 24, of Canonsburg, filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court, stating Murtha, a Vietnam War veteran, repeatedly appeared on national television calling the Marines “cold-blooded killers” following the November 2005 incident in which 24 Iraqis, including women and children, were killed. The men opened fire after one Marine died and two others were wounded by a roadside bomb. Sharratt said the Marines killed insurgents, not civilians.
Sharratt’s attorney, Noah Geary of Pittsburgh, said his client was in a “very scary position” when he watched Murtha on television claiming he was guilty before his trial.
“Murtha is the chair of the Armed Services Committee and has a lot of power,” Geary said. “Justin knew he didn’t do anything wrong and was innocent, but he also knew there was pressure on the Marine Corps to get convictions based on what Murtha had said.”
Murtha spokesman Matthew Mazonkey said the Johnstown congressman would not be commenting on the lawsuit.
In the 13-page lawsuit, it says that starting in May 2006 Murtha made several defamatory statements about the Haditha incident, adding that the statements were made outside of Murtha’s scope of employment as a United States congressmen. Comments a representative makes on the floor are protected.
The lawsuit cites several television appearances in which Murtha referred to the incident as a massacre. He said members of the “highest levels of the Marines told him what happened.” He also alleged a cover-up by the Marine Corps.
Sharratt accuses Murtha of repeatedly saying on CNN, NBC and other networks that Sharratt and his fellow Marines “overreacted because of the pressure on them.” Murtha compared the incident to the 1968 My Lai massacre in which 347 unarmed Vietnamese villagers were killed.
“Murtha did not know what he was talking about and slandered him,” Geary said. “Ironically, he is one of Murtha’s constituents”
Sharratt is seeking damages as well as attorney’s fees for emotional distress and damage to his reputation. Sharratt decided to leave the Marine Corps after the incident.
“He was honorably discharged,” Geary said. “He had the chance to resume his military career and at one point considered it. Justin was so disillusioned with what Murtha had done he said, ‘Well, I’m going to take this honorable discharge.’”
Geary said the timing of the filing was not politically motivated. Murtha is running for his 18th term in the 12th Congressional District.
“I filed a legitimate slander lawsuit,” he said. “If this was an off year we still would have filed it. Murtha did violate his constitutional right to a fair trial.”
Sharratt is the second Marine to sue Murtha over his comments about Haditha. Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, Meriden, Conn., sued Murtha for defamation in 2006. The case is pending.
Four enlisted Marines, including Sharratt, were originally charged for their roles in the killings and four officers were charged in connection with the investigation. One officer was acquitted and charges have since been dropped against everyone else except Wuterich, who pleaded not guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter. He is accused of ordering his men to clear several houses with grenades and gunfire, leading to the deaths of women and children.
Murtha’s opponent, William Russell, has focused his campaign on Murtha’s comments against the eight Marines, even running a television spot highlighting some of the comments. Russell is a career military officer with the Army who is running on the Republican ticket.
“These Marines, all of them, deserve justice,” Russell said. “Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt and his family are seeking their share of justice.”
He also said the timing was not politically motivated.
“The only political motivation is when Mr. Murtha threw eight heroes under the bus,” he said. “(Sharratt) was accused of murder by a sitting congressmen.”
Russell said he met Sharratt about a year ago and Sharratt’s father has been a vocal supporter of Russell. He added that he never discussed the lawsuit with Sharratt’s family.
Geary is demanding a jury trial. The suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh.
A copy of the lawsuit can be found at dailyamerican.com.
(Michelle Ganassi can be reached at michelleg@dailyamerican.com. Comment on this story online at dailyamerican.com.) |
|
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: haditha; justinsharratt; lawsuit; murtha
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To: NFHale; SeaHawkFan; ArmyTeach
Pinging you to post 19, further details (and a link to the complaint) about the suit.
21
posted on
09/27/2008 6:03:41 AM PDT
by
RedRover
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: RedRover; hiredhand; Gilbo_3; Squantos; SeaHawkFan; ArmyTeach
Thank you for the ping, brother Rover...
About time someone puts Murtha’s ass in a sling. Treasonous scumbag that he is...dishonorable, disreputable, and lowlife.
Can someone PLEASE explain to me what makes a man hate his own people so much???? What makes someone hate his own country so much???
Maybe someone could get Murhta on an Article III Section 3 treason charge too...How is it NOT treason when US REPRESENTATIVE Murtha, in his Official Capacity, stands there hugging two of the Code Pink B*tches, known enemy collaborators, who ALSO posed hugging Hugo Chavez, an enemy of this country?
Pinging hiredhand; Gilbo_3; Squantos - check out post 19, first three counts...imagine, actually trying to make the US Constitution work to PROTECT a Citizen (as it was designed) instead of being used by the libs against the citizenry...Bold!!! Love it!!!
22
posted on
09/27/2008 6:30:55 AM PDT
by
NFHale
(The Second Amendment - By any means necessary.)
To: Girlene; smoothsailing; jazusamo; impeachedrapist
Just a heads-up that there will be lots of media next week. Fox News and WOR Radio wants Noah Geary and Justin on for an interview. Laura Ingram invited Justin and Noah to be on her radio show on Tuesday morning. Fingers crossed this gets a lot of play.
23
posted on
09/27/2008 7:07:26 AM PDT
by
RedRover
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: RedRover
Awesome! I’ll try to find Laura Ingrahma on radio on Tuesday. Haven’t listened to her in a while, but in the past she was great on radio. I believe she also clerked with Justice Clarence Thomas, ....so, she would know her constitutional law.
24
posted on
09/27/2008 7:44:17 AM PDT
by
Girlene
To: RedRover; smoothsailing
25
posted on
09/27/2008 8:07:17 AM PDT
by
Girlene
To: debm29palms; USMCPOP; Jarhead2844; USMCWriter; 1stbn27; 2111USMC; 2nd Bn, 11th Mar; 68 grunt; ...
Play Honors Fallen Marines; Local (Ohio) Hero Included DRESDEN - When playwright and actor Michael Tisdale was losing his father to cancer in August of 2005, he became acutely aware of a group of fallen Marines who lost their lives within days of each other in Iraq the same week his father passed away.
excerpt-read the entire article here:
http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080922/NEWS01/809220304
26
posted on
09/27/2008 11:19:27 AM PDT
by
freema
(MarineNiece,Daughter,Wife,Friend,Sister,Friend,Aunt,Friend,Mother,Friend,Cousin, FRiend)
To: RedRover
SUPER! SUPER! SUPER! “All the more media attention, all the better.” Go get ‘em Justin!!!! Thanks for posting Red.
27
posted on
09/27/2008 3:45:32 PM PDT
by
Semper Fi Mom
(Mother of a Marine and proud of it! (www.WeSupport Frank.com))
To: Lancey Howard; smoothsailing
I would love to see those "high level Marines" get named by Murtha I've seen in some reports that former Marine Corps Commandant Michael Hagee (in command during Haditha and the follow-on) was supposedly one of the bloated traitor's sources.
28
posted on
09/27/2008 5:43:19 PM PDT
by
impeachedrapist
(On Free Republic PBD [political bipolar disorder] rules!)
To: RedRover
Good news about the scheduled media coverage. Thanks!
29
posted on
09/27/2008 5:46:51 PM PDT
by
impeachedrapist
(On Free Republic PBD [political bipolar disorder] rules!)
To: impeachedrapist; RedRover
I saw those reports, too, but I think I also saw that Hagee denied them.
To: Lancey Howard
I saw those reports, too, but I think I also saw that Hagee denied them.So there's no misunderstanding, I wasn't implying in any way those reports were accurate. I hadn't heard either way about any Hagee denials, but I'd like to think a Marine Corps Commandant might at least consider giving his Marines a presumption of innocence and a fair trial.
31
posted on
09/27/2008 6:02:35 PM PDT
by
impeachedrapist
(On Free Republic PBD [political bipolar disorder] rules!)
To: impeachedrapist
but I'd like to think a Marine Corps Commandant might at least consider giving his Marines a presumption of innocence and a fair trial.I would like to think that, too, but I am not confident...
To: RedRover
It sure would be great if a court would try the ex Marine on the charges brought forth and a jury found him guilty. Of course he is guilty. I bet he would not resign however.
33
posted on
09/27/2008 7:53:22 PM PDT
by
Marine_Uncle
(Duncan Hunter was our best choice.)
To: freema
A long time ago, I made a comment that I probably not having served in the Marine Corps., was not worthy nor entitled to call Murtha a EX-MARINE.
With support from a number of you, I was told I should feel free as one of the big Marine family to place such a judgment upon this low life creep.
So once again. Murtha is an EX-MARINE. Not entitled to the slightest deference or pity from anyone connected to the Marine Corps.
He has for so many years thrown away his badge of HONOR. And decided to walk the walk Satan had prepared for him. May his dishonorable deeds now catch up to him. If he seeks true mercy from the Almighty Lord, that is his business. If he seeks heartfelt forgiveness then let it be. Otherwise he can tie a concrete block around his neck and dive off a bridge for all I care.
34
posted on
09/27/2008 8:20:10 PM PDT
by
Marine_Uncle
(Duncan Hunter was our best choice.)
To: Marine_Uncle
Any patriot as familiar as you are with the damage al-Murditha has done to the security of our country and the morale of those who defend her with their lives and souls are well qualified to vote in favor of the concrete tie award for his “service”.
To: 4woodenboats
So eloquently stated. The necktie award.
36
posted on
09/28/2008 3:57:35 PM PDT
by
Marine_Uncle
(Duncan Hunter was our best choice.)
To: 4woodenboats
I would vote for the concrete galoshes award, followed immediately by redemption of the included gift card for swimming lessons. Of course this is all predicated on his surviving the deep cleansing ritual of the oil-immersion at 500 degrees f. Which cleanses clean to the bone, if done right.
37
posted on
09/29/2008 9:50:14 AM PDT
by
dcwusmc
(We need to make government so small that it can be drowned in a bathtub.)
To: dcwusmc
Isn’t that how they make Pork Rinds?
To: 4woodenboats
Well, Murtha’s got so much pork in his district, I guess he’s got enough rinds for a hundred lifetimes... and, yeah, I think it is, though he’s a pretty damned poor piece of meat, himself. I just want the cleansing aspects of it... then whatever’s left gets the concrete galoshes and the swimming lessons. Maybe if he’s cooked enough he won’t poison the poor wittle fishies...
39
posted on
09/29/2008 4:44:04 PM PDT
by
dcwusmc
(We need to make government so small that it can be drowned in a bathtub.)
To: Girlene
Sorry to report, Laura Ingraham cancelled Justin and Noah. The bailout story takes precedent. Maybe she’ll have them on later in the week.
40
posted on
09/30/2008 9:09:53 AM PDT
by
RedRover
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