Haditha Update: Court Martial Of LCpl Stephen Tatum Begins

The court-martial of Lance Corporal Stephen B. Tatum, USMC, begins today, 28MAR08. LCpl Tatum faces the following charges:

Charge I: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 119 (Involuntary Manslaughter)
(Maximum punishment: dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 10 years):
Specification 1: by culpable negligence or while perpetrating an offense [...]

Haditha Update: Motion Hearing For Lance Corporal Stephen B. Tatum

On 19DEC07, there will be a motions hearing for LCpl Stephen B. Tatum.LCpl Tatum is charges with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and aggravated assault. All of the charges stem from his alleged involvement in the deaths of Iraqi civilians in Haditha, Iraq.

Haditha Update: Investigating Officer Recommends No Charges for LCpl Tatum

LtCol P.J. Ware, USMC, filed the report of his investigation into charges against LCpl Stephen B. Tatum, wherein he recommended no criminal charges. LtCol Ware characterized the shootings as tragedies, but LCpl Tatum did not violate the law.
LtCol Ware wrote:

Haditha Update: LCpl Tatum’s Article 32 the Final Day

In the final day of the Article 32 investigation into LCpl Tatum’s role in the action in Haditha, Iraq, both the prosecution and defense gave their respective summations of the case. The defense emphasized that,
“You can’t sit back in an air-conditioned room at Camp Pendleton and second-guess these men. [...]

Haditha Update: LCp Tatum’s Article 32 Days 6 and 7

LCpl Tatum testified that he did not “know that there was women and children in that house until later . . . otherwise, I would have physically stopped everyone in that room from shooting.” This testimony came during his unsworn statement during an Article 32 investigation in his actions in [...]

Haditha Update: LCpl Tatum’s Article 32 Day 5

As the investigation moved into its fifth day Special Agent Micheal Maloney, of NCIS, was called as a witness by the prosecution. SA Maloney testified that 17 bullets had been fired by the Marines that day at Haditha, Iraq. The women were killed first and the children were shot [...]

Haditha Update: LCpl Tatum’s Article 32 Day 4

As the investigation into Marine LCpl Tatum and his role in the killings at Haditha, Iraq, the testimony turned to the forensics. Lt.Col. Elizabeth Rouse, USAF, a forensic pathologist and medical examiner, testified that she was not able to view the bodies, and she was only able to look at photographs. The photographs [...]

Haditha Update: LCpl Tatum’s Article 32 Day 3

As the investigation into LCpl Tatum’s actions at Haditha, agents of NCIS were called as witnesses. NCIS Special Agent Matthew Marshall testified about his interrogation of LCpl Tatum, stating that LCpl Tatum was remorseful when he explained that he had identified targets as women and children. At that point [...]

Haditha Update: LCpl Tatum’s Article 32 Day 2

On 17Jul07 the Article 32 Investigation of LCpl Tatum entered its second day. LCpl Humberto Mendoza, a fellow member of 3/1, testified against LCpl Tatum. LCpl Mendoza recounted how he told LCpl Tatum that there were only women and children in the room and later returned to the room [...]

Haditha Update: LCpl Tatum’s Article 32 Day 1

16Jul07 is day one of LCpl Tatum’s Article 32 investigation. Given the success that Cpl Sharratt had with LtCol Ware as his Article 32 investigator, it appears that LCpl Tatum’s lawyers are using a similar tactic:

Use of deadly force was the proper response
LCpl Tatum was following the orders of his [...]

Haditha Update: Article 32 Begins for LCpl Tatum

The Article 32 investigation for LCpl Stephen B. Tatum, will begin on 16JUL07. The investigating officer will be LtCol Ware. LtCol Ware was the investigating offier who recomended no charges in Cpl Sharratt’s case. The Article 32 should last about 7 days.