Grab the popcorn, kiddies: TPM Primer on the Birther Court Martial

[hlthe2b]

Based on the timeline, below, you might want to stock up :popcorn:

The most dramatic Birther stand of the Obama era is set to begin in earnest Friday when the military kicks off a preliminary hearing in the court martial of Birther Army Doctor Terrence Lakin. The process is likely to last several months and may well end with Lt. Col Lakin dismissed from the Army or even in jail, two military lawyers tell TPMmuckraker, --snip--

At Friday's Article 32 hearing, Lakin and his attorneys will be present as will an attorney for the government and an official known as the investigating officer. Evidence will be laid out and witnesses examined and cross-examined.

The government does not have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but merely show that "reasonable grounds" exist to believe a crime has been committed and that the accused is the person who committed it, Michelle Lindo McCluer, executive director of the National Institute of Military Justice at the American University Washington College of Law, tells TPMmuckraker. --snip--

How long will all this take? According to Cave and Lindo McCluer, the investigating officer typically has about a week to prepare his report for the convening authority. The convening authority could then take two to four weeks to decide on whether the case will go to a court martial. Because of other cases in front of the line, it could then be a few months before the court martial itself gets underway.

"No way this will go beyond Christmas," says Cave.
More at: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/a_court_martial_primer_for_the_birther_trial.php?ref=fpa

[Scurrilous]

1. K & R

:thumbsup:

[pinboy3niner]

2. K&R

:thumbsup:

[blondeatlast]

3. Scoot over and pass that popcorn this way, please. nt

[msanthrope]

7. You forgot the bourbon.....and here's a link to the copy of the order

from the investigating officer--it's a hoot, and it's already pretty clear he's sick of the birther shit.

http://www.safeguardourconstitution.com/images/stories/documents/io_ruling_on_def_request_for_witnessesevid-usvlakin.pdf

[blogslut]

4. I'm not understanding the popcorn need

Are there people here who honestly think this fool birther has a chance of winning his case?

[blondeatlast]

5. I doubt it--but it ought to be entertaining in a "I know this train is

gonna jump the tracks and explode" kind of way.

[blogslut]

6. Ahh

I get it. Sorry. I misinterpreted the reference. :)

[hlthe2b]

8. It's the journey to the outcome of interest in this case...

But there should be much entertainment as we watch the "birther" train jump the tracks and the "shocked looks of horror" that result. Yes, the outcome is pretty much a given--only the sentence is to be determined.

But, if this thing stretches out for several months (as per the timeline), interested observers will need the popcorn (and the bourbon)...

[Initech]

9. I've got the popcorn, where's the beer?

:beer:

[hlthe2b]

10. May I suggest a good microbrew ....

perhaps Fat Tire--

apropos given the tire marks that will surely be left as well as the "fat chance" of the birthers prevailing.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. This should be good.

:popcorn: Expect apologists for the validity of birther BS trying to peddle their shit while trying very hard not to appear to be doing so.

[msanthrope]

12. BTT--Lakin has waived the hearing tomorrow--on to Court Martial...

Sorry for winger site source....

CASE TO NOW PROCEED DIRECTLY TO GENERAL COURT MARTIAL

_____________________________________

HEARING WILL NOT PROCEED ON JUNE 11, 2010


Washington, D.C., June 9, 2010. Saying that the Army has made it “impossible for me to present a defense”
at the Article 32 “preliminary hearing” previously scheduled for June 11, 2010, Lt. Colonel Terrence Lakin has officially waived –cancelled—that proceeding. Therefore, the case will move inexorably on to a General Court Martial. The punishment for the charges filed against LTC Lakin carry a maximum term of four years in the penitentiary. Lakin expects the trial to be held in the early fall, but this has yet to be determined. The next step will be the formal referral of the charges by Lakin’s Commanding General, Major General Carla Hawley-Bowland, followed by his arraignment before a Military Judge, both of which are expected before the end of June.

Lakin, through his legal defense team, requested the testimony of Dr. Chiyome Fukino of the Hawaii Dept. of Health, and all of that agency’s records that exist concerning the president’s birth. Lakin had also requested the testimony of the custodians of records of, and the records relating to Obama’s admission and financial aid that exist, of the Punahou School, Occidental College, Columbia University and Harvard Law School. All these requests were also summarily denied, leaving Lakin without any ability to mount a defense at the hearing. However, in that this hearing was preliminary in nature in the first place, Lakin will renew his requests to the Military Judge at the appropriate time.

Lakin also released a new 5-minute video on Youtube explaining why he believes there are reasonable arguments that President Obama is Constitutionally ineligible to serve as Commander-in-Chief. The video can be viewed at http://www.safeguardourconstitution.com/video2.html.

The video is being released under the auspices of the American Patriot Foundation, a non-profit group incorporated in 2003 to foster appreciation and respect for the U.S. Constitution, in the one month since establishing a fund to provide a legal defense to LTC Lakin, has received generous donations from more than 1,200 separate individuals. Further details are available on the Foundation’s website, www.safeguardourconstitution.com.



http://www.safeguardourconstitution.com/news/press-release-june-2010.html