United States v. Keenan

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United States v. Keenan[1] was a court case in the United States where the accused, US Marine PFC Charles W. Keenan, was found guilty of murder after he shot and killed a Vietnamese man[2] under orders from a superior officer. The Court of Military Appeals held that "the justification for acts done pursuant to orders does not exist if the order was of such a nature that a man of ordinary sense and understanding would know it to be illegal."[3]

One source claims that the soldier who gave Keenan the order, US Marine Corporal Stanley Luczko, was acquitted by reason of insanity,[3] but another source says that Luczko was convicted of killing another Vietnamese person during the same incident.[2]

See also[]

  • Nuremberg Defense

References[]

  1. ^ United States v. Keenan, 39 C.M.R. 108, 110, 1969
  2. ^ a b Solis, Gary D. (2009). "Keenan". In Cassese, Antonio (ed.). The Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice. Oxford University Press. p. 756-757. ISBN 9780199238316.
  3. ^ a b Powers, Rod. "What to Know About Obeying an Unlawful Military Order". Retrieved April 6, 2020.


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