Court tosses rulings from military judge in setback for USS Cole bombing case at Guantanamo Bay
(Worthy News) – A federal appeals court tossed years of court rulings on Wednesday in a terrorism case being held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba focused on the deadly terrorist bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in 2000.
A huge set back for a case that has already been plagued by major delays, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled orders made by Air Force Col. Vance Spath — the judge who for years oversaw the military commissions proceedings against suspected al Qaeda member Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri — must be thrown out.
The three-judge panel cited Spath’s undisclosed conflicts of interest over the years, during which he pursued a job as an immigration judge with the Justice Department while concealing that fact from the defense. Therefore, every ruling of his since he applied for the job is now vacated. The appeals court judges said Spath’s actions gave the “disqualifying appearance of partiality.” [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]