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[]
- ^ United States v. Keenan, 39 C.M.R. 108, 110, 1969
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Powers, Rod. "What to Know About Obeying an Unlawful Military Order". Retrieved April 6, 2020.
Categories:
- United States military case law
- United States case law stubs