"Every single thing I did was for the good of this country and to try and do my job to the best of my ability."
Clint Lorance as quoted in
this article from
Military.com. He hopes to become an attorney and reform military justice. Query whether his pardon from Pres.
Donald J. Trump moots his collateral attack on his conviction. Are you persuaded by
the district court's decision?
I am not prepared to comment, at this point, on whether Clint Lorance was the victim of an injustice. I would need to have greater knowledge of the relevant facts. I am in a position only to review the resulting judgments and commentary; unlike the trier of fact at his court martial, I did not receive all the relevant evidence.
ReplyDeleteWhat I will offer is this: I have oft heard the rather cavalier comment from many soldiers: "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6" (notwithstanding that there are not 12 members in a Panel for a General Court Martial - at least, not in Canada). But, when they are eventually judged by a military justice system, that perspective often takes on a markedly less cavalier tone.
Personally, I would prefer to strive to make the best, most reasonable decision possible, considering the context and constraints imposed on me at the time. The cavalier comment "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6" represents an oversimplification of decision-making in those circumstances.