Capt. Carl Bjork’s verdict—a study in trickle down policy from Washington
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 9:15AM By Kay B. Day
Capt. Carl Bjork served with honor in Iraq.Capt. Carl Bjork came onto our radar at The US Report last year, after the government charged him with two counts of premeditated murder and other charges. The charges stemmed from accusations levied by a man named Col. Ibrahim Hamid Jaza, and a few of Hamid's fellow former Iraqi police who were detainees in prison.
The crimes allegedly occurred in Hit during Bjork’s 2006-2007 deployment. It took the government almost three years to bring charges and then the government asked for delays.
Bjork’s trial was this week; his parents traveled to Iraq.
This week news of the verdicts trickled in—Bjork was acquitted on two charges of premeditated murder. Those charges could have led to life sentences.
Bjork, however, was convicted of two counts of negligence in the deaths—those charges carried a max sentence of 3 years each. He was also convicted on the charge of reckless endangerment for allegedly setting a booby trap of a weapons cache, a charge that could carry a one-year sentence.
Having followed this case since its inception, I can honestly say I would not have convicted Bjork of anything.
In this morning’s email, Bjork’s sister Erica Bjork Manning responded to a message I’d sent her. I had closed by telling her I prayed for her brother last night. And thousands of people at the Facebook support group for Bjork have done the same many times.
Erica said, “All of your prayers have born fruit.”
