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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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May 22nd,
2008 - Marine Jailed for Refusing to Testify to Grand Jury News article by the Associated Press |
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Marine Jailed for Refusing
to Testify to Grand Jury By Associated Press May 22, 2008 San Diego - A Marine accused
of killing of an unarmed detainee in Fallujah, Iraq, is in jail because he
refused to testify against a comrade. The detention of Sgt.
Jermaine A. Nelson has forced his arraignment to be postponed. Nelson was scheduled to be
arraigned Thursday at Camp Pendleton on charges of unpremeditated murder and
dereliction of duty. When Nelson failed to appear
in court, his attorney said a federal judge had ordered Nelson jailed for
refusing to testify before grand jury about Jose Nazario, a former Marine
charged in the killings of two captured insurgents. Copyright © 2008 The
Associated Press. External link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJBGkERPk8ZiV1rYMiNrLa2yvSpgD90QR4780 Attorney says Marine jailed
for refusing to testify By Teri Figueroa North County Times May 22, 2008 Camp Pendleton - A Marine
sergeant charged with killing a detainee in Iraq is in federal civilian jail
after refusing Wednesday to testify against a war comrade accused in the same
incident, the sergeant's attorney said Thursday. The detention kept Sgt.
Jermaine Nelson from making his scheduled appearance in a Camp Pendleton
courtroom Thursday morning, where he was due to be arraigned on charges of
unpremeditated murder and dereliction of duty. A federal judge ordered
Nelson into custody after the sergeant refused to testify before a federal
grant jury investigating his buddy, Jose Nazario, Jr., according to Nelson's
civilian attorney, Joseph Low. "My client said 'Sgt.
Nazario saved my life on a number of occasions, and I'm not going to
testify,' " said Low, who spoke outside of court after Nelson's
arraignment was put on hold while the matter is sorted out. Nazario, who was a
probationary Riverside police officer when he was charged, faces accusations
in the deaths of men who he and others had detained during the November 2004
Fallujah battle. The slayings allegedly
occurred on Nov. 9, 2004, during the height of the fierce battle for the
insurgent-held city. Even though Nazario has been
charged in federal court, Low said the prosecutor in that case is trying
instead to have a federal grand jury indict him. Although both Nelson and
Nazario are charged in the same incident, Nazario's case is in civilian court
because he had already left the Marine Corps and was not eligible to be
called back into the service by the time the murder charge was levied. Military prosecutors are
handling Nelson's case. Also charged in military
court for the incident is a third man, 25-year-old Ryan Weemer, who revealed
the incident while interviewing for a job with the Secret Service. Weemer has since been
recalled into the Marine Corps and was charged last month with one count of
unpremeditated murder, a charge akin to second-degree murder in the civilian
justice system. External link: http://tinyurl.com/3u4egl |