Judge to reschedule Fallujah shooting trial

[unhappycamper]

Judge to reschedule Fallujah shooting trial
Staff and wire reports
Posted : Wednesday Feb 18, 2009 20:22:20 EST

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A military judge on Wednesday delayed the start of a Marine’s court-martial on charges that he murdered an unarmed detainee during combat operations in Fallujah in 2004.

The judge, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Meeks, did not set a new date for the trial of Sgt. Jermaine Nelson, who the Marine Corps has charged with unpremeditated murder and dereliction of duty.

Meeks’ decision came after a second day of arguments over several motions mainly centered on expert testimonies on post-traumatic stress disorder and the testimonies of Iraqi and character witnesses in the case.

Jury selection for the general court-martial had been slated for Tuesday. Marine Corps Forces-Central Command, the convening authority in the case, had assembled a pool of potential military jury members, many who had been flown to California for what is expected to be a closely watched case.

Military prosecutors have charged Nelson, along with former squad mate Sgt. Ryan Weemer, of Hindsboro, Ill., with each killing an unarmed detainee after their squad encountered a group of men in a house on the first day of the Battle of Fallujah, a major military operation to root out insurgents in the city. Both were assigned to the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. Prosecutors allege four men were shot dead for no reason inside a house where weapons were found.


Rest of article at: http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_court_martial_021709/%2e