Military lawyer recommends Navy not court-martial SEAL on abuse charges News
Military lawyer recommends Navy not court-martial SEAL on abuse charges

[JURIST] A military lawyer has recommended that a Navy SEAL accused of abusing prisoners in Iraq should not be court-martialed, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Friday. The lawyer instead recommended a nonjudicial punishment for the SEAL. The decision on whether to prosecute rests with the commander of the unit at Coronado. If convicted, the SEAL, who has not been identified, could face up to 11 years in prison. The SEAL is one several accused of abuse, and a fellow SEAL testified at the preliminary hearing Monday that both men punched an Iraqi detainee suspected in a bombing, who was found dead hours later. No one has been charged in the death. JURIST's Paper Chase has background on the charges. The Union-Tribune has more.