Plea deal possible in first prison abuse court-martial

By Kevin Drew
CNN
Tuesday, May 18, 2004 Posted: 7:27 PM EDT (2327 GMT)


(CNN) -- The first court-martial in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal begins Wednesday with intense international media attention focused on what type of evidence may be provided in the case against the young American soldier.

~snip~

"The fact that he has been cooperating, that he has made a statement to give evidence against others, suggests that this might not even go to court-martial, and if so, it will be over quickly," said Neal Sonnett, a Miami defense lawyer who has represented civilian and military defendants.

In his statement, Sivits told investigators that Spc. Charles Graner forced the prisoners to disrobe, mocked them and "punched detainee with a closed fist so hard in the temple that it knocked the detainee unconscious."

~snip~

But Sivits' attorneys may opt for a court-martial proceeding, Scharf said, rather than taking a plea deal, to obtain evidence of where orders came from.

That strategy is likely to be used in the other cases prosecuting the Abu Ghraib abuses, Sonnett said.

~snip~
more: http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/05/18/court.martial.sivits/

100 bucks..Sivits takes the plea bargain. ...

Why else would he be trying to pin the blame on his buddies? The deal is in the bag.

one year in jail and a big chicken dinner... three days ago iirc

...because a courts martial-- with the attendant media coverage-- would place the case in the public record, even if it's only an increment on the way to Rumsfeld, Rice, and dumbya. A plea bargain in this case will likely hide the details, and future courts martial will probably not be so open to the media. This is a setup.

Take the plea bargain and shut up.

But Bushco is dreaming if they think that will end it. Someone out there must have more photos, lots more photos.

buried in Military vaults for next 75 years.


I hope you are right tho---