Suing Murtha for Slander
September 27th, 2008 at 12:05am Mark Noonan
And a good thing, too:
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.
If there was any way to get Murtha to see the inside of a jail over this, I’d advocate it - “treason” is not too strong a word to describe what he did.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Congress, Corruption, Democrats, War on Terror
16 Comments
1. neocon | September 27th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Where can I donate to the Marines legal efforts?
2. dickvee | September 27th, 2008 at 12:44 am
At least, with his very ugly body and face, he won’t have to worry about becoming Bruno’s cell wife. I think donations for those legal efforts would be appropriate, as well as for the treasonous troll’s upright opponent.
3. cam | September 27th, 2008 at 12:47 am
The Speech or Debate Clause protects Murtha from this kind of prosecution. This case will be dismissed. I’m not very certain about what Murtha knew and why he came to the conclusions he did. But members of elected office are protected from libel when they speak in a capacity as an elected representative.
4. cam | September 27th, 2008 at 12:55 am
For those of you who regularly object when the courts settle a case in a way that you disagree with you sure are ready to rush to court.
5. Kahn | September 27th, 2008 at 1:14 am
cam, wellll then the violation of Civil Rights case would kick in wouldn’t it?
And Murtha was not on the floor of Congress when he said these things, he was camera grubbing. I’m not so sure he’s safe.
I do know one thing, at several Pennsylvania events, Pennsylvania National Guardsmen have stood up and turned their backs on him. Well loved by the troops that Murtha.
6. cam | September 27th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Kahn,
I’m not an expert on the law. I’m not sure why you bring up Civil Rights law. My understanding is that this law protects against discrimination based on a person’s standing in one of the protected classes.
I don’t think that is the case being made by these soldiers.
7. Mark Noonan | September 27th, 2008 at 2:17 am
cam,
It is a good point that you raise, but I think it only applies to what a Congressman says on the floor when Congress is in session…I don’t think he’s got immunity elsewhere. Though I could be wrong - do we have any legal experts in the house?
8. Kahn | September 27th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
cam, I bring it up because there were two law suits filed, not one.
Murtha is accused of slander. AND Murtha is accused of violating the Marines civil rights.
Civil rights as a general term covers ALL those rights protected under the Constitution. Speech, assembly, self-defense, against self incrimination, etc.
If you are forced to confess to a crime, that is a civil rights violation.
If cops illegally take your guns after a hurricane, that is a civil rights violation.
It goes on.
9. Dennis | September 27th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Deleted - slander.
10. phnx | September 27th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Cam and Dennis, I take it you are defending Murtha and his actions. Is that right?
11. the_lefty_fool | September 27th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
yeah, treason is the word for it.
Then what the F—- is the word for LYING to convince the country that 4,000+ soldiers needed to die and 90,000+ civilians needed to do likewise???????
Holy crap, people, have you no sense of decency? At long last, have you no sense of decency?
Obviously you don’t give a flying f*%# if soldiers are killed as long as it meets your political needs. And you would judge us??
You hypocritical S.O.B’s. I am so very angry because you DON’T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND that WAR COSTS LIVES. This means that when we go to war, OUR PEOPLE WILL DIE. Thus, war is not something that should be done lightly. Nor should it EVER, in a free democratic state, be justified by lies.
You are supporting those who have done this, and you have the audacity to condemn others who condemn murder?
You are responsible through your complacency for the 95,000+ dead of this conflict and the countless millions of lives torn apart. Yet you don’t seem to care. Do you know the agony of losing your son or daughter, wife or husband? And losing them for what? A lie!
Come back when you have repented.
12. Dennis | September 28th, 2008 at 5:50 am
Oops - I forgot any time someone posts actual objective facts here they get deleted for being slander (smack in the forehead…)
13. FmrMarine | September 28th, 2008 at 9:54 am
fool
>>>Then what the F—- is the word for LYING to convince the country that 4,000+ soldiers needed to die and 90,000+ civilians needed to do likewise???????>>>>
ask all the democRATS who voted for it.
Prove there was a LIE
any way it was a UN force who took town hussein
get over it MORON!
14. FmrMarine | September 28th, 2008 at 10:01 am
FOOL
you are running around with your hair on fire over 4000 dead service people,
while IGNORING the
FIFTY MILLION DEAD Babies by abortion.
THREE HUNDRED MILLION people MURDERED in the 20 th century by communism.
Millions Murdered by islam in the name of their faith and all you can do is HATE Republicans because we took down a murderous tyrant as a member of a UN coalition??
YOU are truly a demented RETARD!
15. FmrMarine | September 28th, 2008 at 10:11 am
FOOL
Here is the REAL…….LIE.
I dare you to watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5p-qIq32m8
16. the_lefty_fool | September 28th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
OK, first of all, I just love your arguments in favor of killing 95,000+ people for a lie.
Second, nice job taking the topic away, to abortion. And, according to you, much better to let that kid live, then draft him at age 18, so he dies fighting a pointless war.
Abortion is not the point of this thread. Get over it.
The democrats voted for it by a smaller percentage than did Republicans. Further, they believed that their CinC wouldn’t ever lie to them about something so important. Oops. Our bad. But hindsight is always 20-20 (Except for Dick Cheney– but I digress).
Prove it was a lie??? Are you joking? Were there any WMD we found? No. Was there ever a connection between Hussein and Osama? No. There’re your lies right there.
Also, it was a UN force that took down Hussein?? Are you stupid? We went to war AGAINST the will of the UN. Simply because other UN members fought with us (UK, Japan, Georgia) does not mean that the UN wanted to go to war.
Hey, fmrmarine– back up your claims with some evidence. then maybe you will start getting respect in life. And possibly you will soon be able to get laid without paying for it. But I doubt it.
Also, did the Dems ever go to war? No. But that’s because we are all spineless pussies who want the terrorists to win, right? We’re afraid to go to war, because people will die. What kind of pussy cares about human life?
BTW– in the Bible, it is written that the soul of a boy does not enter the body until after the third month of pregnancy– 4 months for a girl. Ironically, in those days, the way of determining the sex was the little spoon thing: spoon swings one way, it’s aboy, and the other, it’s a girl.
If you want to refute my claim, first, read the bible. If you think it is false, then you have obviously never read the bible. If you want to challenge me, then make sure you know your shit, and READ THE BIBLE. You are all for interpreting the bible literally for creation, evolution, and homosexuality, but that’s just cause it’s what others told you. Maybe you should read the bible yourself.
And you would call me a retard??? At least I understand the structure of a logical argument.