Deposition of Murtha sought for Hadithah caseThe Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Feb 20, 2008 7:41:23 EST
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A legal advocacy group that supports Christians has filed motions to dismiss charges against a Marine Corps officer accused of failing to investigate the killing of 24 people by Marines in Hadithah, Iraq, in 2005.
The Thomas More Law Center filed five motions in advance of Wednesday’s pretrial hearing for Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani at Camp Pendleton.
Among the motions filed are requests to compel the deposition of Congressman John Murtha over comments he made about Marines killing “in cold blood” in Hadithah and two motions to dismiss all charges against Chessani.
Chessani was commander of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment that has been the focus of the largest prosecution of U.S. troops in the Iraq war.
He is the highest-ranking U.S. serviceman to face a combat-related court-martial since the Vietnam War. Chessani has been charged with dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order on allegations that he mishandled the aftermath of the Nov. 19, 2005, shooting deaths in Hadithah.
Rest of article at:
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_murtha_080220/