After two years in military prison and being publicly convicted of inhumane crimes by Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt has been cleared of the charges Murtha made against him.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A general dropped all charges Thursday against a Marine who had been accused of killing three Iraqi brothers in response to a roadside bomb attack in Haditha in 2005.
“The evidence does not support a referral to a court-martial,” Lt. Gen. James Mattis wrote in his written decision.
Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, 22, had been charged with the murder in the deaths of three of those killed after the bomb attack Nov. 19, 2005.
The decision to drop the charges followed an earlier recommendation from a hearing officer who listened to evidence in the case. Under military law, a commanding general has total jurisdiction over a case.
In his recommendation, Lt. Col. Paul Ware said murder charges brought against Sharratt were based on unreliable witness accounts, poor forensic evidence and questionable legal theories.
“The government version is unsupported by independent evidence,” Ware wrote in an 18-page report. “To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.”
Sharratt spent all this time in prison awaiting a court martial for a crime he didn’t commit. A good Marine was punished for nothing. Murtha made sure he was shamed in front of the entire country. Will Murtha have to answer for that?
Murtha is so arrogant he doesn’t think he has to answer for anything. He is above the law, in his mind. He hasn’t even apologized for what he’s done to these Marines!!!
August 11th, 2007 at 3:09 am
You’ve convinced me!
I’m sending $25 to Murtha’s next campaign fund.
August 11th, 2007 at 3:47 am
Paul, he doesn’t need your money. He’s pocketed enough pork over the years that he’s not having to struggle too terribly hard. I’m sure you can do more with the $25 than making him richer.