Pvt. charged in gang beating death of sergeant

[unhappycamper]

Pvt. charged in gang beating death of sergeant
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Oct 9, 2008 6:32:11 EDT

BERLIN — A soldier has been charged in the gang-related beating death of another soldier at a base in Germany, the military said Wednesday.

Pvt. Bobby D. Morrissette was charged with involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, two counts of participation in gang initiation rituals and several other offenses, the military said in a statement.

The charges relate to the beating death of Sgt. Juwan Johnson, of Baltimore, on July 4, 2005 in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

The Army released no further details, but at the trial of others involved in the case witnesses testified that at least six members of the Gangster Disciples gang beat Johnson during a gang initiation ritual.

Johnson’s mother, Stephanie Cockrell, told The Associated Press in 2005 that she had spoken to her son the day before his death and he told her he was coming home in two weeks after completing an 18-month tour of duty in Iraq.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/ap_gangbeating_100808/%2e

[trumad]

1. I can't even imagine the spike in violence with veterans in the next couple of decades.

[sazemisery]

2. When the military lowered its' standards for enlistment

to include convicted felons, etc., it put itself in a precarious situation. I fear the military courts will be very busy in the years to come.

[YDogg]

3. agreed

[jimmil]

4. They did it during VN also.

Judges then would sometimes give the kids the option of going to jail or sign up for active duty. I had two in my company.

[Crowman1979]

5. Isn't their a UCMJ article or law against those who enlist with a criminal record regardless of..

...waiver? If not, then do some mass less than honorable discharges or lower for those who enlisted with convicted felonies.

[jimmil]

6. In my time at least

The judges usually would drop all charges so that there were no records. At least that is what I was told by the two in my company. Both were petty criminals if you ask me. They were always in trouble and were up on some serious charges when I got wounded and shipped back to the States. I don't know what happened to them but I can certainly speculate they were at least discharged on a general discharge at best. Back then it was hard to get less than a general discharge.