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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| US marine's Iraq murder conviction overturned | US marine's Iraq murder conviction overturned |
| (3 months later) | |
| The US military's highest court has overturned a murder conviction against a marine in one of the most significant cases against American troops from the Iraq war. | The US military's highest court has overturned a murder conviction against a marine in one of the most significant cases against American troops from the Iraq war. |
| The court of appeals for the armed forces threw out the conviction of Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins, who has served about half of his 11-year sentence. | The court of appeals for the armed forces threw out the conviction of Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins, who has served about half of his 11-year sentence. |
| According to the ruling posted on the court's website on Wednesday, the judges agreed with Hutchins, who said his constitutional rights were violated when he was held in solitary confinement without access to a lawyer for seven days during his interrogation in Iraq. | According to the ruling posted on the court's website on Wednesday, the judges agreed with Hutchins, who said his constitutional rights were violated when he was held in solitary confinement without access to a lawyer for seven days during his interrogation in Iraq. |
| Hutchins led an eight-man squad accused of kidnapping a retired Iraqi policeman from his home in April 2006, marching him to a ditch and shooting him dead in the village of Hamdania. None of the other squad members served more than 18 months. | Hutchins led an eight-man squad accused of kidnapping a retired Iraqi policeman from his home in April 2006, marching him to a ditch and shooting him dead in the village of Hamdania. None of the other squad members served more than 18 months. |
| Hutchins's case had been overturned once before by a court that ruled his 2007 trial was unfair because his lead defence lawyer quit shortly before it began. The same court that accepted his new petition overruled that decision, saying the problem was not grave enough to throw out the conviction. | Hutchins's case had been overturned once before by a court that ruled his 2007 trial was unfair because his lead defence lawyer quit shortly before it began. The same court that accepted his new petition overruled that decision, saying the problem was not grave enough to throw out the conviction. |
| Hutchins had not been due for release until July 2015 at the earliest. | Hutchins had not been due for release until July 2015 at the earliest. |
| His lawyer, Babu Kaza, said he now expected him to be released within days. | His lawyer, Babu Kaza, said he now expected him to be released within days. |
| "Sergeant Hutchins and his family have suffered enough with this case, and it's time for this to be over," Kaza said. "Enough is enough." | "Sergeant Hutchins and his family have suffered enough with this case, and it's time for this to be over," Kaza said. "Enough is enough." |
| The navy can appeal to the supreme court or send the case to the convening authority, who can either order a retrial or let the ruling stand. | The navy can appeal to the supreme court or send the case to the convening authority, who can either order a retrial or let the ruling stand. |
| Navy officials could not be immediately reached for comment. | Navy officials could not be immediately reached for comment. |
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