Judge in Norfolk denies request in Blackwater case

[maddezmom]

Source: viginia pilot

The federal government doesn't have to turn over thousands of pages of documents related to the war in Afghanistan that could potentially help bolster the self-defense claim of two former Blackwater contractors in their murder trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar called the request "too ridiculously broad" and added that the defendants' lawyers had not shown any direct connection between the information requested and their clients. The government argued that most of the information sought is in the public domain.

"The danger faced by the military and contractors is common knowledge," Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury told the judge.

Some of the documents requested would likely involve classified material, Salsbury said. The release of those documents would likely delay the start of the murder trial, set for Sept. 14, the government argued.


Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2010/08/judge-norfolk-denies-request-blackwater-case