Watada Court Martial Ruled a Mistrial!

Lt. Ehren Watada‘s defense team will have to persuade a judge that the Iraq War is illegal when a new trial convenes next month.

Carolyn Ho, mother of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada sheds a tear while she is hugged by Carlos Arrendondo, who’s son Alex was killed in Iraq while serving in the Marines, during a new conference in DuPont, Wash. after the court-martial was ruled a mistrial at Fort Lewis, Wash., on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007. Watada announced last June that he would refuse to go to Iraq with his unit, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Now the 28-year-old Watada faces four years in prison if convicted on one count of missing movement and two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

The Seattle Times is reporting that the court martial against Lt. Whren Watada was ruled a mistrial:

The court martial of Lt. Ehren Watada ended unexpectedly today with the judge declaring a mistrial due to his misgivings about a pretrial agreement.

In that agreement, Watada admitted that he missed his brigade’s deployment to Iraq, an admission the judge said is enough to find him guilty.

But Watada, in tense questioning by the judge, Lt. Col. John Head, said he believed he still had a defense, that the war is illegal and would cause him to participate in war crimes.

He said he did not see the agreement as evidence of his guilt.

“I’m not seeing we have a meeting of the minds, here,,” said the judge. ” And if there is not a meeting of the minds, there’s not a contract. Tell me where I’m missing something?”

Prosecutors attempted to allay Head’s concerns, saying that they, too, did not view the agreement as an admission of guilt.

But the judge was not satisfied and told prosecutors that there was now a misunderstanding over the agreement.

Head said the prosecutors could move to reopen their case which had already been completed on Tuesday. However, they declined to reopen the case, which would have been complicated by the jury already seeing the agreement that now had problems.

Not all of the hand full of protesters outside the Washington trial were feeling sorry for the deserter Watada…

Jeff Brigham, right, who opposes 1st Lt. Ehren Watada mingles near supporters of Watada near the gates of Fort Lewis Army Base, DuPont, Wash., on the day his court-martial begins Monday, Feb. 5, 2007. Watada announced last June that he would refuse to go to Iraq with his unit, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Now the 28-year-old Watada faces four years in prison if convicted on one count of missing movement and two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Michelle Malkin has more on the Left’s definition of a hero.

Previously on Watada:
How George Washington Would Deal With 1st Lt. Ehren WatadaBusted!… Lt. Watada’s AWOL Case Made Easy With YouTube
Moonbat Reporter Cries Foul at Trial of Deserter Watada
Shocker!… Actors & Activists Line Up to Support Deserter Watada
Not All Protesters Are Feeling Sorry For Lt. Watada

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Jim Hoft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016. In 2023, The Gateway Pundit received the Most Trusted Print Media Award at the American Liberty Awards.

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