Attorney Richard V. Stevens and Attorney Frank J. Spinner Interviewed for "War Crimes" Articles
.

Recently, The Middle East Times ran a two part article titled "The Media, Military and Murder" in which the article's author, Marcia Drezon-Tepler, tackles the difficult issue of how the United States Military handles allegations of "war crimes" or "murder" on the battlefield. While military prosecutions for these alleged crimes claim the issues are black and white, they are far from that.
.

In truth, these prosecutions are often the product of "Monday morning quarterbacking" of high pressure, highly dangerous combat situations in which split second decisions are made and the "fog of battle" is a factor. And, these prosecutions often result from the military's preoccupation with public perception and media coverage. It's hard to fight a war while looking over your shoulder and wondering how engagements will play on CNN.
.

Last spring, Frank Spinner and I (attorney Richard V. Stevens, Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, PC) defended two Army murder trials in which our respective clients were accused of "murdering" terrorist insurgents in Iraq. Both clients were fully acquitted (found not guilty of all charges). Those cases are discussed in this latest news article. My case is cited in part 1:
.

http://www.metimes.com/Opinion/2009/03/24/the_media_military_and_murder/4164/
.

Frank's case is cited in part 2:
.

http://www.metimes.com/Opinion/2009/03/25/the_media_military_and_murder_-_2/1699/

.

This two-part article is worth reading, to understand the complexities of decisions soldiers face in combat.

.

As I always caveat when mentioning cases we've defended, while these military court-martial cases were successfully defended, it is important to understand that every case has different facts, and success in previous cases does not guarantee success in any particular future case. No military lawyer or civilian defense lawyer, including those who specialize in military law, can guarantee the outcome of any military case. For more information on the military justice system, please see our other blog posts.

.

By: Attorney Richard V. Stevens
Civilian criminal defense lawyer and military defense lawyer
Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, PC
http://www.militaryadvocate.com

.

Blog postscript: Attorney Frank Spinner and I (attorney Richard Stevens) are former active duty military lawyers (JAG). Our perspectives and advice, therefore, are based upon our experience as military defense lawyers and as civilian criminal defense lawyers practicing exclusively in the area of military law. This blog addresses issues in military law, military justice, military discipline, military defense, court-martial practice, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and other military and/or legal topics. Nothing posted in this blog should be substituted for legal advice in any particular case. If you seek legal advice for a particular case, please contact The Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens & The Law Office of Frank J. Spinner for a free consultation. Military defense law offices are located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Military defense law practices are worldwide.