Freedom for Clint Lorance on Independence Day Serves Public Confidence in the Military Justice System – by Kevin J. Mikolashek
Presidential Action Setting Aside the Findings and Sentence in Clint Lorance’s Case will Reassure our Servicemembers that their Country will Back them when They Make the Split-Second, Life-or-Death Decisions
“Absent evidence of innocence or injustice the wholesale pardon of US servicemembers accused of war crimes signals our troops and allies that we don’t take the Law of Armed Conflict seriously. Bad precedent. Abdication of moral responsibility. Risk to us. – GEN (Ret.) Martin Dempsey, May 21, 2019 (emphasis supplied)
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General Dempsey’s comments are well-taken, but the exceptions he cites to the “wholesale pardon” of servicemembers accused of war crimes – “evidence of innocence or injustice” – are both applicable in Clint Lorance’s case. He is both innocent, and the victim of injustice; he deserves to have the President set aside his convictions and sentence.