Marine Sues Murtha

[Stoner]

Oohrah, brother. Hope you win.

Murtha sued over remarks

BY MIKE FAHER
The Tribune-Democrat

In May 2006, six months after 24 people were killed in a small Iraqi town, U.S. Rep. John Murtha made a startling accusation.

American soldiers, he contended, had killed innocent civilians “in cold blood.”

Now, less than six weeks before the longtime Johnstown Democrat is up for re-election, a Marine involved in the now-infamous Haditha incident is suing Murtha for slander.

Justin Sharratt of Canonsburg, Washington County, left the Marine Corps last year. But he claims Murtha’s statements have caused “permanent, irreversible damage to his reputation.”

“What Murtha did is outrageous, and I am seeking punitive damages,” said Noah Geary, a Pittsburgh attorney representing Sharratt.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Pittsburgh.

It includes Murtha’s statements from nationally televised interviews in 2006, including an exchange during a CNN interview with anchor Wolf Blitzer.

“There was an (improvised explosive device) attack, it killed one Marine, and then they overreacted and killed a number of civilians without anybody firing at them,” Murtha told Blitzer.

“That’s what you’re going to find out.”

At this point, though, seven of the eight servicemen charged in the incident have been cleared.

Geary said Sharratt was charged with three counts of unpremeditated murder but later was exonerated.

Sharratt, 24, was honorably discharged from the Marines, Geary said.

The lawsuit claims Murtha violated Sharratt’s constitutional rights to presumption of innocence and due process of law.

While Geary acknowledged that the congressman never mentioned his client by name, he said media reports did identify Sharratt. And the effects have been long-lasting, the attorney said.

“People see that on TV,” Geary said. “It becomes truth – it becomes a fact.”

He added that “Justin has had people approach him, giving him a hard time” in reference to Haditha.

And the suit says Sharratt has lost “significant employment opportunities” and “significant associational opportunities.”

Murtha, through a spokesman, offered no comment Thursday.

But when a different Haditha Marine filed a lawsuit against him in 2006, Murtha said he simply wanted to focus attention on troops who were “caught in the middle of a tragic dilemma” in war-torn Iraq.

“When I spoke up about Haditha, my intention was to draw attention to the horrendous pressure put on our troops in Iraq and to the cover-up of the incident,” Murtha said at the time.

The 2006 lawsuit is ongoing.

It was filed by Frank D. Wuterich, the only Marine not yet cleared in the Haditha incident.

Wuterich has pleaded not guilty to voluntary manslaughter charges, The Associated Press reported.

Haditha has become a political issue in western Pennsylvania.

Diana Irey, a Republican Washington County commissioner, often spoke of the Haditha Marines during her unsuccessful 2006 campaign against Murtha.

Republican William Russell, challenging Murtha this year, has resurrected the theme.

In fact, Russell’s campaign Web site features a “personal video message” from Justin Sharratt’s father, Darryl. And Russell’s only television ad has focused on Murtha’s Haditha comments.

Geary denied that Sharratt’s lawsuit is connected in any way to the Russell campaign.

Instead, he said, the legal action must be filed now because a statute of limitations for slander lawsuits is about to expire.

“There’s no political motivation whatsoever,” Geary said. “This is purely a legal endeavor.”

Nevertheless, Russell issued a statement on Sharratt’s lawsuit Thursday.

“I sincerely hope that Congressman Murtha will use this opportunity to admit his mistake and take responsibility for the harm his false accusations have done to Justin Sharratt and his family,” Russell said.

“Justin’s right to justice goes beyond politics.”

Murtha has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit.

The Tribune Democrat, Johnstown, PA - Murtha sued over remarks

 

[WillowTree]

 

[HoleInTheVoid]

What's interesting to note is how many libtards WANTED murder to be true.

By hoping the Marines were merciless killers the libs proved it was they themselves who were the col-blooded wasters of human life.

 

[pegwinn]

Fuckin A.

Well? How bout it Jack

I will donate to the Marines legal fees. I hope Murtha is publicly humiliated.

 

[rayboyusmc]

By hoping the Marines were merciless killers the libs proved it was they themselves who were the col-blooded wasters of human life.

In your fucking wet dream hole. I guess that includes the liberal Marines who served there. What a dumb fucking biassed remark.

Right, your the only fucking patriot.

Damn, but blind assholes like you really piss me off.

 

[WillowTree]

In your fucking wet dream hole. I guess that includes the liberal Marines who served there. What a dumb fucking biassed remark.

Right, your the only fucking patriot.

Damn, but blind assholes like you really piss me off.

I'll be wondering to hear from you about what you think of Murtha.

 

[HoleInTheVoid]

I hope Murtha is publicly humiliated.

I hope the fat money-grubbing, son-of-a-bitch falls into a pit full of running chainsaws.

For a man that speaks so foul about the military he has no problem asking for hundreds of millions in earmarks on every military appropriations bill to come down the pike.

WASHINGTON – Even though members of Congress cut back their pork barrel spending this year, House lawmakers still tacked on to the military appropriations bill $1.8 billion to pay 580 private companies for projects the Pentagon did not request.

Twenty-one members were responsible for about $1 billion in earmarks, or financing for pet projects, according to data that lawmakers were required to disclose for the first time this year. Each asked for more than $20 million for businesses, mostly in their districts, ranging from major military contractors to little-known startups.

The list is topped by the veteran earmark leaders, Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., who is the chairman of the powerful defense appropriations subcommittee...

Pork slashed 50%; still clogs military bill | The San Diego Union-Tribune

 

[pegwinn]

There are no liberal Marines in a combat zone. Come to think of it I never met a conservative Marine in a combat zone. You tend to leave that trash in the barracks and focus on getting the job at hand done without getting killed in the process.

 

[Sunni Man]

The U.S. Marines have murdered many Iraqi civilians during this so called war on terror.

The true number will never be known.

And very, very few will ever stand trial. And even less will be convicted.

 

[HoleInTheVoid]

In your fucking wet dream hole. I guess that includes the liberal Marines who served there. What a dumb fucking biassed remark.

Right, your the only fucking patriot.

Damn, but blind assholes like you really piss me off.

Oh please.

The libs salivate stories like this so they can scream one more tiem to get out of Iraq.

Does the name Winter Soldiers ring a bell, scrote?

 

[pegwinn]

The U.S. Marines have murdered many Iraqi civilians during this so called war on terror.

The true number will never be known.

And very, very few will ever stand trial. And even less will be convicted.

Shave your head. The tinfoil hat gets a better connection that way

 

[HoleInTheVoid]

The U.S. Marines have murdered many Iraqi civilians during this so called war on terror.

The true number will never be known.

So I'm going to sit here and pull numbers out of my ass while ignoring how many civilians the terrorists kill by design.

Fixed as a free public service.

 

[Sunni Man]

I am an old school Vietnam Era Vet just like Murtha.

I am well aware of the kind of things that actually go on in a combat area.

 

[HoleInTheVoid]

I am an old school Vietnam Era Vet just like Murtha.

I am well aware of the kind of things that actually go on in a combat area.

And yet you hold the jihadis blameless.

Tell us: where were you when the Khmer Rouge were running wild? Too busy smoking your Pol Pot?

 

[Sunni Man]

Tell us: where were you when the Khmer Rouge were running wild? Too busy smoking your Pol Pot?

I was never in Cambodia.

Also, Pol Pot and the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge happened after America pulled out of Vietnam.

And yes, I did smoke a little of the herb. (actually alot!!)

 

[HoleInTheVoid]

I was never in Cambodia.

Also, Pol Pot and the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge happened after America pulled out of Vietnam.

BINGO!

And yes, I did smoke a little of the herb. (actually alot!!)

orly?

 

[Sunni Man]

What are you going "bingo" about?

Maybe you need to read some history books about the war.

Cambodia was only a very small part of the conflict.

There were many atrocities that took place in Vietnam. 99.9% went unreported.

Just like what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistain.

 

[HoleInTheVoid]

If they're unreported how does a useless stoner like you come into the information?

 

[Sunni Man]

If they're unreported how does a useless stoner like you come into the information?

Son that was back in 70-71.

I haven't smoked any since then. Believe me, if you where in the service during that time, you smoked some pot.

 

[HoleInTheVoid]

If the atrocities are unreported how do you know about them?