Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani: Charges dismissed

[CommunityEditor]

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A military judge has granted a seven-week delay for a court-martial for a Marine charged with failing to adequately investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis in Hadithah.

A lawyer for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani says the judge agreed Tuesday to push back the trial from April 28 to June 17. The judge wants to consider defense claims that military officials came under “undue command influence” to charge against their client.

Attorney Brian Rooney says the judge ordered former Marine commandant Gen. Michael Hagee to testify at a hearing in May. A defense request to depose Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha over comments he made about the November 2005 killings was denied.

Chessani is from Rangely, Colo.


Article: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news...dithah_041508/

[CommunityEditor]

SAN DIEGO — Lawyers for a Marine officer charged with failing to investigate a squad’s killings of 24 Iraqis in Hadithah say a military judge has found evidence of undue command influence over the case.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani contends that a military lawyer who investigated the November 2005 killings had a conflict of interest when he later advised generals overseeing the Hadithah trials.

Defense attorney Brian Rooney said Wednesday that the judge stated in a preliminary ruling Tuesday that the military adviser created both the fact and the appearance of a conflict.

Rooney says he plans to ask the judge to dismiss the case at a hearing June 2 at Camp Pendleton.

Chessani is from Rangely, Colo.


Article: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news...dithah_052108/

[CommunityEditor]

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis.

Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Hadithah.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement.

Chessani was the highest-ranking officer implicated in the case.


Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20...essani_061708/

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[jaymarine1775]

Lt. Col Chessani may have had his charges dropped, but for officers a court martial weather found not guilty or guilty, ends his or hers career he had no choice but to file retirement paperwork. This case alone makes it not possible for him to ever again have a command. His career was ended on the first hearing for this case.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani's lawyer yesterday said that the dimmissal of the charges is being appealed.