Previous threads:
For background on the case, see HERE.
Posted on 07/14/2008 12:10:17 PM PDT by RedRover
Breaking news!
Judge recomends dismissal of manslaughter charges in Sgt John Winnick case. Recommends a minor dereliction charge with nonjudicial punishment.
This is a developing story. Check back with Defend Our Marines for details.
Quick prayer up for the dismissal of charges!
Outstanding news, Red. Praying that Lt. Gen. Helland accepts the recommendation.
Great news and CONGRATULATIONS to Gary Myers, Dan Conway, and Sgt. Winnick and his family! WOOHOO!!!
Iraq is/was a war. Let's not prosecute our forces for prosecuting the war in a winnable way.
Hallelujah!
No way that that young man was guilty.
Also, this was supposed to be another hearing day for Nazario with the Fed Court, wasn’t it?
Without the truck having been searched, I’m not sure why WINNICK would be charged with dereliction.
I’d go for dereliction against the incompetents who allowed that truck to disappear.
I’ll bet Winnick could even beat a dereliction charge if it’s actually related to the sniper incident.
If it has to do with whether he was wearing the prescribed number of buttons on his shirt or had his ROE card in his pocket, then maybe they can get him on some piddly-as$ stuff like that.
Since when is being handsome a crime? :) Congrats!!!!
Yes, there’s a motion hearing today for Sgt Nelson. Haven’t heard anything about it and am guessing it’s routine.
Woohoo back atcha, blondie! We’ll have more soon!
Word is that no one, maybe especially LtGen Helland, has any enthusiasm for this going forward. Prayers joining yours it’s the straight dope.
Great News!
Wow! Pray that this comes to pass.
If you get one, please post to the "Hell Freezes Over" ping list.
Excellent news :)
You've got to be a girl! Thank God for conservative women! I would have said since when is it a crime to fight a war?, but your comment is duly noted and accepted and I bet he would be grateful to hear it!
Defense attorney Dan Conway says, "We're pleased with the Investigating Officer's recommendation after carefully reviewing all of the evidence. Our Marines deserve the benefit of the doubt when they make good faith decisions to use force in self-defense during combat. Sgt Winnick is a stand-up Marine and he's eager to get back to work."
A copy of the IO's report has been posted at the link above.
I posted the IO's report HERE
I call them as I see them :)
I used to say they are being punished for coming home alive and the media rather celebrate the heroes who lost their lives. Thank God for all of them!
What wonderful news!
And such a great ping! LOL
Great news! Justice once again reared it’s almighty hand against the dark forces.
Winnick (Sniper) Update:
http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/SgtWinnick/IO_REPORT.pdf
Nazario (Battle of Fallujah cold blooded murderer now civilian) Update:
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/NEWS0802/80714001/-1/newsfront
Also-a body was found in Sneads Ferry, burning. Haven’t determined who it is, but a female Army Lt. in Fayetteville has been missing since a fire at her home. She was estranged from a USMC Cpl. He was charged with murder today. Even though no one knows if the body found today is hers. NCIS was on the scene before the fire was put out. There was another Ft. Bragg female murdered recently.
Very weird. Very, very weird.
YES!
Whose army were you in?
I don't remember having the option to pick and choose who will be defended.
Semper Fi
An Old Man
Hiya, dyna! A great first step in complete exoneration. Now it’s up to LtGen Helland to officially end this thing.
I still don’t have the option. But I wish I did.
I’m kinda surprised. Seemed like the powers that be wanted to go full bore on this one, too.
But, I’ll take this result!
We’ll see. Hopefully LtGen Helland won’t keep the sergeant and his family waiting long for his decision.
In the LCpl Tatum case, Helland ignored the IO’s recommendation but ended up dropping charges anyway on the day of the court martial.
A second thought/question. Is this one of those that can be with or without prejudice, if charges are dropped?
Wonderful news but what is Charge "I"? Is that the dereliction?
I am sure the NCIS will totally foul up the investigations. It seems to be the way they now operate. (Haditha Marines)
I posted that article from the Desert Sun earlier today and it was yanked. The mods were kind and explained that Desert Sun is a Gannett paper and they’re not allowed to post anything from Gannett. Unfortunately, my hometown paper is also Gannett, so I run into it all the time with good info that I cannot post to FR.
The fascinating part of the article is where Nazario’s lawyer, McDermott says a few things about Weemer.
He says Weemer is now in doubt about his own story. He says Weemer is suffering from PTSD. He says Weemer is engaging in “self-medicating” behavior....drugs is what I take it to mean.
There is zero forensic evidence.
McDermott has done the brilliant....obvious, when you think about it....He’s asked for the identity of the deceased.
In short, he’s affirming Nazario’s position that this never ever happened — that it’s all in the mind of a young man abusing drugs, suffering from PTSD, and questioning his own account.
How in the world can they prosecute Nazario based on that!!??
Great news BUMP!
Any word on what this “minor dereliction charge” would be? It sounds to me like somebody is trying to toss the prosecutors a chewed up bone shard.
Bet you have great hindsight, too.
Congrats to Sgt. Winnick
Don't know, boats. The USMC Iraq Investigations site never posted the charges.
There’s growing confidence in the defense circle that the civilian jury will acquit Nazario and the two military trials will follow suit.
I imagine that the prosecutors of the Haditha case, who’ve been critized for batting zero, will feel vindicated that a civilian trial exonerated a Marine as well.
Great news, as far as it goes.
I went looking for the actual specifications detailing the actual charges against Sgt. Winnick, but didn't find anything official. The closest I got was the list from Chelsea Carter in an Al-Pressera story giving the following:
So it appears that his actions -- killing two insurgents and firing toward two others -- are unsupported, but they have to gig him on something to justify the exorbitant expense and time wasted on this cluster ..., so because he had equipment problems and should have withdrawn (and let the insurgents kill our troops then or later) they hit him with something he can raise no defense to. Un-freaking-real!
If we had a real Justice System based on Law, this case should be brought before a Grand Jury with the intent to indict the investigators and prosecutors with malfeasance and misprison of felony, false accusations under colour of authority. Yeah; I know -- dream on! Scumbags all !!
Charges could be dropped without prejudice which would not be good news. I hope/pray LtGen Helland does the right thing.
Could be he is drowning himself in booze. Which, of course, is ok.
How in the world can they prosecute Nazario based on that?
The answer may lie here:
With all the tech. advancements lately, these machines look almost human.
(Coming to a "theater" near you)
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