Key Witness Abruptly Taken off the Stand in Murder Case Against Marine

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBM3B2428E.html

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) - A key witness in the case against a Marine officer accused of murdering two Iraqi civilians was abruptly taken off the stand Wednesday on suspicion of violating orders on giving interviews about the case.

Marine Sgt. Daniel Coburn was testifying at a hearing in the case against 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano when the investigating officer, Maj. Mark E. Winn, read him his rights and told him he was suspected of violating orders from superior officers.

Coburn left the courtroom after requesting a lawyer.

Defense lawyers had complained that Coburn had given interviews about the case to ABC News, the Daily News of New York and New York magazine even after being ordered not to do so.

[MaineDem]

1. A GOP Congressman was just on the floor of the House

I have no idea who's guilty or not in this case but I think it highly inappropriate for the Congress to be discussing a case in progress.

This Congressman (sorry I didn't get his name) was praising Pantano to the highest. And then finished with may God bless this man and his family and the Corps and America. Whewww

[Gyre]

2. That's one way to do it.

Threaten the prosecution witness with prosecution of anything they might have been involved in and admit to, in the course of their testimony against another person (ie, defendant), and force them to "take the fifth". The way around that is easy. As the prosecutor you give that witness "use immunity" for anything they testify to that implicates them directly. Then they can't "take the fifth" and they go ahead, testify, and the prosecution gets the incrimiating testimony against the person they're really after.

Bottom line is: the prosecutor is not doing something that all experienced prosecutors know about. He's probably doing it because he's either a fool, or dumping the case because he's been told to walk this guy.

Gyre

[MADem]

4. Funny, nine times out of ten the prosecutor wipes the floor

with the defense. I've noticed that in CMs--they tend to let the poor newbie JAGS practice with the accused, then, if they are any good, they get to be prosecutors. Of course, this case is high profile, so everyone gets the A Team.

There are a lot of political types weighing in, and that perverts justice. Not being there at the time of the incident, I just don't know. It could be the accused is a classic character out of a bad war movie--either a crazy ass bastard who likes to shoot people, or a mean leader whose subordinates are getting revenge on him. Or he could be completely innocent, in the sense that he may have followed the ROI to the letter.

I just wish the pols and the media would back away and let the wheels of justice grind. There are two dead guys on one side of this equation, and an accused with his neck inches from the noose. It just isn't helpful, what these guys are doing, weighing in like that. And they seem to be doing it a LOT lately (Schiavo, e.g.).

[teryang]

3. A case like this is highly politicized

A certain outcome is desired.