Sailor who outed himself, given reprieve
While the Pentagon plans to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in midsummer, a three-judge panel voted unanimously to retain a sailor who posted pictures of himself on MySpace kissing another man almost a year-and-a-half ago. The defense called four witnesses to his character and the prosecution called none.
Attorneys also argued that given the imminent repeal of the 17-year-old policy, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus would be unlikely to approve the discharge. Defense Secretary Robert Gates directed in October that all discharges had to be expressly approved by the secretary of the service and the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Nobody has been discharged since then.
“Today was a victory, and we’re grateful to [Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek Morado] for lending his story and his voice to highlight the fact that servicemembers are still facing the discharge process, even 100 days after the law was repealed,” GetEQUAL director Robin McGehee said in a statement.
Yeah, a victory, but not a victory for the rule of law. It’s a victory for everyone who breaks laws they don’t like.
Category: Military issues
The prosecution offered no witnesses. Before a three-judge panel, the prosecution did not prosecute the case.
Military rule of law is dead in the courtroom.
The defense offered “character witnesses”. I wonder what that had to do with anything. Is he a homo? Yes. Then that tells us all we need to know about his character.
If he hadn’t been a facebook exhibitionist, he wouldn’t have gotten caught.
Yet again, “they” just want to serve. On their terms, not the military’s terms, their terms.
And, the prosecution couldn’t muster up an exhibit, or witness, who in hell brought it to the Navy’s attention, to get this cluster started? Wouldn’t that be a “witness”?