KOLOTV reports:
Joint Base Lewis-McChord spokeswoman Catherine Caruso says the
pleas from Ivette G. Davila were accepted by the judge, Col. Stephen R. Henley, at Monday’s court martial. She was to be sentenced later in the day to life in prison.
KOMO News reports that:
An Army Specialist accused of killing two fellow soldiers and taking their baby has changed her plea to guilty.
Spc. Ivette Davila entered guilty pleas to two counts of premeditated murder and one count of kidnapping during a military court hearing Monday morning.
Silence.
20 August 2010 was the day to submit motions. They would have had up to the close of business.
Nothing on APF in terms of documents filed.
North County Times reports:
Nearly five years after 24 Iraqi men, women and children were slain by a Camp Pendleton squad as it searched for a roadside bomber, the last man to face criminal charges from the incident is about to go on trial.
Wuterich’s trial —- which is scheduled to start Sept. 13 and last up to three weeks[.]
A reported threat by a senior Army officer to "Taser" another officer on trial for challenging Barack Obama’s eligibility to be president could be a serious "command influence" issue that could taint the case, according to an expert.
Huffington Post has a piece about MEJA.
In the perpetual debate over legal accountability of, and prosecution if necessary, of private military and security contractors one often sees the arguments reduced to two simplistic arguments.
PMSC opponents argue the contractors argue in a legal vacuum and with utter impunity. This is, of course, as anyone who has even done the most cursory reading on the subject knows, is utter nonsense. . . .
TPMMuckracker his this update, on the alleged “threats” from LTC Brodsky.
Late Update: Margaret Hemenway of the American Patriot Foundation told TPM that the account of Brodsky’s comment and Lakin’s response came from Lakin himself. “It’s bizarre,” she added of Brodsky’s “threat,” and “looks very bad.” Hemenway continued that they’re “going to have to wait and see how they deal with this,” and suggested that the APF is anticipating some kind of disciplinary action against Brodsky. “What was he thinking?” she wondered repeatedly.
Late, Late Update Army Public Affairs Officer LTC Robert Manning told TPM that he was “there at the arraignment and I did not hear” LTC Brodsky’s alleged comments. “I was there at the proceedings the entire time,” he said, adding that the Army is “committed to ensuring that Lt. Col. Lakin receives fair treatment and due process.”
World News Daily has a piece on LTC Lakin and his radio inteview with G. Gordon Liddy. Here are a couple of interesting points from the article.
“We are today (12 August 2010) officially requesting that discovery,” Jensen said. “If the government refuses to give it to us, then we will, a week from today, file a motion to compel discovery.
“I can’t think of a single reason why the judge would take the government’s position,” he said.
Note to file. Don’t spend time gossiping with Dwight while burglars are having their way in your house. It’s not helpful or conducive to a good day and it interferes with blogging. Second note to file: send thank you to ADT (a la USAA) for an efficient alarm system, and note of thanks and donation to the APD Patrolman’s Benefit Association.
Anyway, back to LTC Lakin.
I told Dwight that a minor nit was LTC Lakin and his counsels’ failure to stand when first addressed by the military judge. I have the client stand on the “are you . . .” in all cases and its de rigueur in Navy and Marine Corps cases. It’s a minor sign of respect to the court. Anyway, at the time it was just a bit of post-Lakin gossip for Dwight. But then I chanced to look at the photograph on APF along with the fund-raising plea. LTC Lakin is probably lucky the SGM wasn’t around with a Taser complaining about a poor example to the enlisted personnel. I know, I know, it’s a nit. But I did not see a “No cover area” sign around outside the (now temporarily housed in a warehouse) court-room. BTW Fort Meade courtroom is a lot more professional looking and much more space for a gallery.
Here is a piece by Eric R. Carpenter, an Army judge advocate.
Applying the Capital Jury Project Findings to Court-Martial Practice, Army CGSC, Fort Leavenworth, 11 June 2010.
Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog