After Pentagon computer security issues, defense lawyers ordered not to email or draft docs online

After the disappearance of multiple documents and intrusions into the Pentagon computer system used by lawyers representing terrorism defendants, both military and civilian attorneys have been ordered not to use their computers for drafting confidential documents or email. “I honestly don’t know how bad it is. All I know is…

Apr 11, 2013 8:00 PM CDT

Meet the man who would save Guantanamo

For a moment, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins seems discomfited. That is not his nature. In the words of a reporter covering the revamped military commissions now trying accused terrorists in Guantanamo Bay: “Don’t play poker with the man. He has no tells.” But Martins is visibly stung when…

Mar 1, 2013 11:20 AM CST

Defense lawyers say they think US may be eavesdropping on client talks in Gitmo terror cases

Prosecutors say the government is not electronically eavesdropping on conversations between defense lawyers and their clients in ongoing terrorism cases being heard in a military court in Guantanamo Bay. But defense lawyers aren’t convinced that is true, and the issue is expected to dominate hearings this week at the U.S.…

Feb 11, 2013 12:27 PM CST

A Gitmo mystery: Who cut the video feed for reporters?

A video feed for reporters and the public observing a pretrial hearing at Guantanamo Bay was abruptly and mysteriously interrupted on Monday. The judge overseeing the arguments on behalf of accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed seemed perplexed, the Washington Post reports. Judge James Pohl, an Army colonel, said…

Jan 29, 2013 2:14 PM CST

Ex-Navy Lawyer Is Disbarred for Sending Secret Names of Gitmo Detainees to Legal Group

The Kansas Supreme Court has disbarred a former Navy lawyer who mailed a classified list of Guantanamo detainees to the Center for Constitutional Rights. A majority of the court supported disbarment for Matthew Diaz, while a minority would have imposed an indefinite suspension, according to the opinion (PDF). Diaz had…

Nov 26, 2012 12:15 PM CST

Ad Attacks Michigan Supreme Court Candidate for Helping ‘Free a Terrorist’

A political ad sponsored by a group called the Judicial Crisis Network is criticizing a candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court with an allegation that she “volunteered to help free a terrorist.” The ad targets University of Michigan law professor Bridget McCormack. She is described as a lawyer fighting for…

Nov 5, 2012 11:00 AM CST

Ex-Navy Lawyer Who Gave Detainee Names to Legal Group Fights for His Law License

A former Navy lawyer who mailed a classified list of Guantanamo detainees to the Center for Constitutional Rights is fighting for his law license. The Kansas Supreme Court will hear arguments today on a recommended three-year suspension for Matthew Diaz, the Associated Press reports. The suspension would be retroactive to…

Oct 25, 2012 1:20 PM CDT

Lawyers for Accused Sept. 11 Mastermind Say Their Gitmo Offices Are a Health Hazard

Lawyers for accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed say they haven’t been able to work in their assigned offices because of the rats, rat droppings and mold. The lawyers said in court documents that they have complained about the problems for more than a year, the Miami Herald reports.…

Oct 4, 2012 12:01 PM CDT

Lawyer: Ex-Gitmo Detainee Khadr Wants to Be Contributing Member of Society

A Canadian youth who was the youngest detainee at Guantanamo is eager to be a normal, contributing member of society, according to his lawyer. Omar Khadr was only 15 when he was captured in Afghanistan and accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier. He pleaded guilty in…

Oct 1, 2012 2:18 PM CDT

As DC Circuit Weighs the Future of Guantanamo Inmates, Some Say Judicial Review Can Harm Military

Oct 1, 2012 10:10 AM CDT

Detention Policies: What Role for Judicial Review?

Oct 1, 2012 9:59 AM CDT

Citing First Amendment Concerns, Federal Judge Overturns Indefinite Detention Law

A federal judge in Manhattan has struck down a law authorizing indefinite military detention of terrorism suspects. U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest ruled in a suit by journalist Chris Hedges and several WikiLeaks supporters, the New York Times reports. They feared the government would view their activities as supporting terrorism…

Sep 13, 2012 2:32 PM CDT

Federal Judge’s ‘Scathing’ Opinion Blocks Gitmo Rule Change Restricting Lawyer-Client Contacts

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has blocked a rule change that required lawyers to abide by a different, more restrictive set of contact rules if their Guantanamo Bay clients no longer had pending cases. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said the rule change giving more authority to the Guantanamo…

Sep 7, 2012 12:42 PM CDT

Government Seeks to Control Detainees’ Access to Lawyers

The Obama Administration on Monday sought court permission for military and government agencies, rather than , to control Guantanamo prisoners’ access to lawyers, SCOTUSblog reports. A 2008 U.S. Supreme Court opinion guarantees the detainees the right to test their detention in court, and the matter of lawyer access has been…

Aug 7, 2012 9:18 PM CDT

Military Commission Lawyers Defend Their Work, Concede Flaws in the System’s Earlier Iterations

Plenty of current and former military brass participated in and observed Saturday’s panel on historical perspectives concerning the Obama administration’s resumption of military commission trials in the war on terror. But once again, the ultimate answers and explanations needed to come from outside the room—from the U.S. government, not its…

Aug 5, 2012 12:46 AM CDT