Murtha Must Testify In Haditha Defamation Case - With Video
WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge refused Friday to dismiss a defamation case against Rep. John P. Murtha and ordered the Pennsylvania Democrat to give a sworn deposition about his comments alleging “cold-blooded murder and war crimes” by unnamed soldiers in connection with Iraqi civilian deaths.
A Marine Corps sergeant is suing the 18-term congressman for making the charge, which the soldier claims is false. Murtha, who opposes the Iraq war, made the comment during a May, 2006 Capitol Hill news conference in which he predicted that a Pentagon war crimes investigation will show Marines killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.
Murtha’s office declined to comment on the ruling.
The Justice Department wanted the case dismissed because Murtha was acting in his official role as a lawmaker. Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Henault said the comments were made as part of the debate over the war in Iraq.
U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer said the congressman might be right, but said she won’t know for sure unless Murtha explains himself. She did not set a date for Murtha’s testimony but said she would also require him to turn over documents related to his comments.
“You’re writing a very wide road for members of Congress to go to their home districts and say anything they choose about private persons and be able to do so without any liability. Are you sure you want to do that?” Collyer said, adding later, “How far can a congressman go and still be protected?”
Collyer said she was troubled by the idea the lawmakers are immune from lawsuits regardless of what they say to advance their political careers.
Mark S. Zaid, the attorney for the plaintiff, Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, said he wanted Murtha’s deposition and limited documents from the congressman, including calendars and documents related to which reporters he spoke to.
Zaid said Murtha was not acting within his congressional duties and was instead trying to embarrass then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, with whom Zaid said Murtha had a personal dispute.
Collyer, who was appointed to the bench by President Bush, said the case wasn’t about whether to recall troops from Iraq and she didn’t “particularly care” about Murtha’s views on the war. She said the law cares only about what Murtha intended when he made the comments.
Charges have been dismissed against four of the eight Marines who were initially charged with murder or failure to investigate the deaths in Haditha. A battalion commander has been recommended for a court- martial; a final decision is pending.
The investigating officer overseeing the Haditha case is expected to recommend soon whether Wuterich should stand trial. Wuterich, 27, of Meriden, Conn., is accused of unpremeditated murder in 17 of the killings.
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HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Talk about accountability!!!!!!!!!1
EAT SHIT AND DIE TRAITOROUS SCUMBAG!!!!!!
To the judge in this case… take it as a compliment… your now a ‘MURTHAFUCKER’.
Wooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:06 pm“Collyer said she was troubled by the idea the lawmakers are immune from lawsuits regardless of what they say to advance their political careers.”
This is the start of something interesting
September 28th, 2007 at 3:24 pmWAA HAAAA!!
Murtha’s spincter is tightening.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:26 pmJust because he’s a Communi… oops, Congressman, and veteran (so was Benedict Arnold!), doesn’t make him immune!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pat! Can you get a T-Shirt that has a face of Murtha that says MURTHAFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:34 pmwould love to see him given an old fashioned Tar and Feathering
http://www.mkellstrand.com/whiskey/ky_adventure/history/images/tar_and_feather.jpg
And then shot for treason
September 28th, 2007 at 3:42 pmThat liberal piece of human refuse, that gasbag, that traitor, etc. ad nauseum, needs to have more than a deposition taken from him, he needs his life or at least his freedom taken away!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:43 pmTo Hell ( and I mean that in a biblical sense) with these liberals!
Does anybody know if he can be jailed for slander?
September 28th, 2007 at 3:53 pmSuck it, jackass. If he won’t go to pound-the-Congressman-in-the-ass prison, at least he can be forced to $$$pay for his crimes.
I’m lovin’ the news item lineup this evening!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:57 pmWhat goes around comes around, Jackass Murtha. I hope you get your asswipe hat handed to you. Fucking yellow=bellied coward. And don’t give that shit he served his country in the rear with the gear shit. This motherfucker is an X-Marine. He deserves to have his globe and anchor taken from him and replaced by a swift kick in his fat ass.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:11 pmLove it…Don’t mess with the Patriots of The 9/11 Generation who are Semper Fidelis-Always Faithful, unlike the traitor dumbass Murtha.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:13 pmWhere do I buy tickets, and will refreshments be served in the lobby?
September 28th, 2007 at 5:10 pmI truly hope they get his sorry ass. Stupid fat old man.
September 28th, 2007 at 5:30 pmFry that asshole!!
September 28th, 2007 at 5:43 pmSlightly off topic but the Murtha thing got me thinking.
On this message board,
I’ve seen the following sentiment posed over and over:
We need more leaders, fewer polititians.
Where are the “Real Leaders” in this country?
I think this county’s leadership deficit is temporary.
I believe those “real leaders” we’re hoping for
are currently taking care of buisness in the middle east.
Sooner or later one of America’s true patriots,
September 28th, 2007 at 5:54 pmsomebody currently serving in this war will become a future president.
I concur Pod1
Petraeus / Pace 2012?
September 28th, 2007 at 9:00 pmThe crows are coming home to roost. And don’t give anybody that ‘did you serve?’ BS, like anyone who didn’t does not have the right to speak about the war. Fascist, you will not take away my right to speak on this! Do you say that to your MoveOn.tard supporters? Would you have said that FDR had no business running the country during WWII? Hypocrite! I hope you get yours.
September 28th, 2007 at 9:44 pmBwahahahahahahahaha!
The chickens have come home to roost.
What a disgrace of a Marine that Murtha is! Shows how money can corrupt any politician, even a former Marine, war-veteran, leftist liberal like Murtha.
September 29th, 2007 at 12:43 amWe can only pray that this IS the beginning of something new . . . when one holds a public office, he or she should(with emphasis) be held to higher standards when addressing the public. And, just because public officials created laws that govern our society, does not mean that those same public officials should be immune to enforcement of the very laws they created.
With elections pretty much just around the corner, you will notice that over the past few days (should have been paying closer attention all along) that the MSM and liberal political leaders are taking things said by our right winged press way out of context. Look at incidents involving Limbaugh/Edwards and O’Reilly/CNN where one sentence was taken out of context by a leftist or leftist group in an attempt to make conservatives look like they don’t care about the “little people.” Even though our conservatives friends are right, the democrats have lowered themselves to the point of fabricating information and creating “issues” that just aren’t. All in an attempt to “win” the White House.
Continuing to unveil injustices, lies and corruption by the MSM and politicians should be one of our number one priorities, second to that of national security.
Let’s just hope that there is a change in the horizon. We should make sure that the MSM and those politicians who overstep legal boundries are held accountable for their irresponsible actions. Maybe that will help us clean “house” and allow room for “real leaders” to run this country, ya reckon?
September 29th, 2007 at 8:14 amWhat a fucking turd. They guy should have resigned years ago. Now he has to face the music and confront what he said. Fuck him.
September 29th, 2007 at 11:59 amHa-ha-ha. Loose lips sink ships. I am so happy he is being hauled in by a taxpayer to answer for himself. Yahoo. bd: you cannot be jailed for slander. You can get a big damage award against you. He will have to go to George Soros or someone and ask them to donate to his legal defense fund, to pay the judgment.
September 29th, 2007 at 3:02 pmMaybe old Lardass will let slip some other members of his conspiracy to exert command influence upon an ongoing criminal investigation. He stated at the time that he’d gotten his info from the field. Who? What? When?
I recall that bullies and petty theives never want to be punished alone, their pals should share the swag and the time when caught.
Good riddance Lardass!
September 29th, 2007 at 7:08 pm