Rodney Williams was found guilty last year of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Nicholas Nalls in Virginia, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
But when Williams received only 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine, Nalls' family was stunned and disappointed. So was the U.S. Navy, according to a story in The Virginian-Pilot.
At the time of the shooting in 2008, Williams was an active-duty chief petty officer, subject to military law. A month after Williams' 12-month sentence was upheld, the Navy charged him with murder, the Virginian-Pilot story says. He's now in the brig at Norfolk Naval Station and his case could go to court-martial by fall.
The story notes that, while it's unusual for the military to pursue prosecution in a matter that's already been tried in the civilian system, it's not unlawful. Double jeopardy protections only prohibit more than one prosecution by a single sovereign entity -- a state or the federal government. Williams' first trial was in a state court; military courts are part of the federal government, the story says.
Beth Baker, a Navy spokeswoman, is quoted as saying that the service chose to take action because it "wasn't happy with the outcome of the first trial."
0 comments:
Post a Comment