US will not seek death penalty against Marine in Hamdania killing News
US will not seek death penalty against Marine in Hamdania killing

[JURIST] The US government will not pursue the death penalty against US Marine Corps [official website] Pfc. John Jodka III in the death of an Iraqi civilian in Hamdania, according to a military prosecutor during Article 32 [JAG backgrounder; UCMJ text] hearings [JURIST report] Wednesday to determine if Jodka and another soldier should face courts-martial for the killing. Jodka is accused of firing deadly shots at Hashim Ibrahim Awad [Wikipedia profile], while Cpl. Marshall Magincalda is charged with kidnapping and binding the man's feet. Jodka and Magincalda are among seven Marines and a Navy corpsman who have been charged [JURIST report] with murder and other crimes related to Awad's death. AP has more.

The prosecution is relying on alleged confessions to the murder by involved soldiers, but defense attorneys said they will fight to have the statements suppressed, accusing military investigators of obtaining them via coercive techniques. The other members of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment [official website] are expected to face preliminary court-martial hearings in the coming weeks. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.