Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
The APF has launched it’s new campaign – Terry Lakin Action Week — to persuade members of Congress to get involved in establishing a new concept, that military officers may refuse duty at their whim.
With Congress back for the "lame duck" session we are urging Terry’s advocates to make calls to Capitol Hill- and to newly elected Members of Congress- during the week of Nov 15-19 to urge them to speak up for LTC Lakin and to provide feedback on the response to those calls. Remember that the U.S. Congress works for you- and that Members have a certain obligation to respond to constituent inquiries- but please be polite and respectful in advancing your point of view.
This is a reminder that LTC Lakin has not yet made some statement refuting his belief about the President’s eligibility or the birther movement. That would not be completely expected at this point and I would anticipate his counsel have told him not to make any more public statements.
Were LTC Lakin to have remained with his former defense counsel, the TLAW, would seem to be another aggravating step in his contumacy. However, he did change lawyers, not soon enough, but because of that I’m not certain the current efforts of APF should be attributed to LTC Lakin. Rather, this shows how the APF and others have taken advantage of him. The birthers still don’t understand the military justice process. They keep to the talking point that if only the president would release his birth certificate it would be all over. Maybe, but it was and is too late for LTC Lakin. He’s in a lose lose situation. If the president’s eligibility were proved, LTC Lakin’s lost; but so too if the president wasn’t eligible.
Right now the prosecution has a standard prosecution case that should be fairly straight forward to make and prove. So long as they continue to take the KIS approach to the case all should go well, LTC Lakin will be convicted and there will be a sentence. That is unless the defense can use what little leverage they have to negotiate a PTA. Remember, a plea of guilty is a first sign and a first step toward rehabilitation.
CPT Connie Rhodes sort of did that when she withdrew her civil case and went on deployment. (It would be interesting to know how she fared. Anyone know?)