FLASH! Grayson Haditha Not-Guilty Verdict (Updates)

As I predicted yesterday, due to a weak and crumbling case, Lt. Andrew Grayson has been found by the jury in his court martial as not guilty on all counts.

The Haditha prosecution has so far shot maggies drawers on all those Marines targeted. These JAG prosecuters are not Marine marksmen, and some should question their other qualifications.

As AP reports:

Grayson's attorney, Joseph Casas, said he believed the verdict could influence pending prosecutions.

"I think it sets the tone for the overall whirlwind Haditha has been. It's been a botched investigation from the get-go," he said. "I believe in the end all of the so-called Haditha Marines who still have to face trial will be exonerated."…

Four enlisted Marines initially were charged with murder and four officers were charged with failing to investigate the deaths. Charges were dropped against five of the Marines.

Still to face court-martial are Wuterich, of Meriden, Conn., whose charges include voluntary manslaughter, and Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, of Rangely, Colo., who has been charged with dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order on allegations he mishandled the aftermath of the killings.

Grayson and Wuterich pleaded not guilty. Chessani has said he didn't order a formal investigation because he believed the deaths resulted from lawful combat. He has not entered a plea because in the military system that is not usually done until motions hearings are completed and a court-martial is about to start.

Wuterich and Chessani face different charges, but the prosecution’s point is the same: Marines in combat are supposed to act like lawyers at ease to opine from afar. Politicos who shoot their mouths off at our brave Marines tonight have another reason to hang their heads in shame, to add to their long list.

Let’s hope Wuterich and Chessani’s jurors have the same sense as Grayson’s.

NOTE that the Washington Post has the AP story front-paged at its website, but as of now (8:41PM Pacific) the New York Times doesn't. Probably waiting for a way to spin it negatively, or to bury the news contradicting its rush to judgments.

Lt. Andrew Grayson’s comments on the verdict, and being a Marine:

“Yeah,” Grayson said outside the courtroom. “The Haditha Marines stood resolute to the cause and they knew in the end that their resolve would result in their innocence. Thank God.”

Grayson said there were times when he could have taken the “easy way out” by accepting a plea deal that would have spared him jail time in exchange for his testimony against other Haditha suspects. But in the end, he said, “one must do what is right.”…

Wednesday evening, Grayson said court-martialing Wuterich “was questionable at best” because the squad leader was simply following what he was trained to do – observe the military's rules of engagement.

As for Chessani, Grayson described him as “one of the most steadfast men. . . . He led by example and he knew the difference between right and wrong.”

For latest on Chessani court-martial, see here, and note we're awaiting the military judge's ruling on whether there actaully was or the appearance of command influence, and whether it affects the proceeding.

For more background, just go to the left margin Search and type in Haditha.

Some important LINKS:
Jim Hoft at GatewayPundit blog has done his usual marvelous job of finding the videos of Murtha’s and of Obama’s role in spreading the Haditha calumny. See here and here.

Also, Clay Waters at TimesWatch.org has done his usual marvelous job of exposing the hypocrisy and shoddiness at the New York Times, as predicted above. The NYT's news editor is currently answering questions, and in response to one he says: " I'd like to think that the subject of any story, if newsworthy, will not be ignored." I guess it's not as newsworthy when the paper's meme is contradicted by reality.