Short Note From The Watada Trial

Just a short note from Dupont, Washington: Well, I brought a laptop but the bad news is I haven't quite figured out how to work it all quite right. I and my friends from NCRR were able to make it into the trial both days now. Since there are only 20 seats in the actual court room, they sat up an overflow room with 42 seats for the general public and the other side for the media. Yesterday we were the first in line outside the courthouse at 4:45 and stood in line for FOUR hours in the COLD. But yesterday they didn't quite have the "system" down right and let us into Fort Lewis early. They did however come up with "a system" today and we were made to wait outside the gates til 8:00. Then Murphy's Law kicked in and we got a flat tire!!!! Lucky for us another "activist" FULLY supporting Ehren, Colonel Anne Wright let us ride in with her.

This is brief because my room-mate is sleeping. The prosecution presented their case with all of three witnesses. Now in my humble opinion and the opinion of every single person I spoke to, the prosecution put on a pretty good defense for Ehren concerning the conduct unbecoming charges. Each one said that Ehren had followed procedure concerning how to voice dissent, and also had followed the rules concerning proffering his resignation. None of them liked at all what he had said and said that it could destroy "order in the military" but each one said when pressed that it is up to the individual officer to follow his conscience when placed in a position in which they are deeply troubled.

Tomorrow the defense will put on their case beginning at 9:00. There will only be two witnesses since the military disallowed the testimony of all the witnesses testifying to the illegality of the war per our Constituition tied to interational treaty. Ehren's testimony is expected to last two hours and his only character witness is expected to testify for no more than a half an hour. Then closing arguements will take place and the trial will then go to the panel for decision. According to Eric Seitz, a verdict COULD be rendered as early as tomorrow afternoon but most likely Thursday.

I have taken copious notes and as soon as I can I will give you all my own humble opinion of what went on AFTER I make sure it is legal for me to write about it here.
A court marshall anytime is a very serious event and one with this high of a profile certainly draws alot of attention.

Anyhoo, that is the end of my "short note from the Watada trial", the trial of a TRUE American hero.