Charles Stimson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Douglas "Cully" Stimson (born June 13, 1963), is a former American political appointee at the Pentagon. Stimson was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs. He resigned February 2, 2007,^[1][2][3][4] following a controversy about his statements on legal representation for prisoners at Guantánamo Bay.

Contents 1 Appointment 2 Controversies 2.1 Guantanamo Bay detention camp 2.2 Bagram collection point 2.3 Resignation 3 References 4 External links 4.1 Websites 4.2 Video 4.3 Photo images

[edit] Appointment

The Pentagon created the Office of Detainee Affairs, and with it Stimson's post, in July 2004: ^{[5] [6]}

An as-yet-unnamed deputy assistant secretary who will report to the undersecretary for policy will head the office. The new deputy will chair a joint committee composed of the undersecretary for intelligence and representatives from the Joint Staff, the Office of General Counsel, the Department of the Army, and others who might be involved in detainee affairs.

Stimson, an attorney by training, was formerly a U.S. Navy JAG officer from 1992-1997.^[7]

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Guantanamo Bay detention camp

Stimson first received press attention in October 2006, when he told Reuters that more than 300 Guantánamo detainees might remain there for the rest of their lives.^[8]

In January 2007 he was again the subject of widespread criticism, following his comments on the legal representation of Guantánamo detainees. Disapproving of lawyers offering Guantánamo detainees pro bono representation, Stimson said that "corporate CEOs seeing this should ask firms to choose between lucrative retainers and representing terrorists."^[9] The Pentagon later admonished Stimson for his comments, stating that they were not representative of Pentagon policy.^[10][11]

These comments are in direct contradiction to longstanding American legal tradition, in which lawyers are encouraged to represent clients regardless of their own personal views. In fact, the tradition of lawyers representing unpopular clients extends back before the founding of the country, to John Adams's defense of the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre; Adams later wrote that it was "one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country." Yale Law School explained^[12] in a statement:^[13]

We teach our students that lawyers have a professional obligation to ensure that even the most despised and unpopular individuals and groups receive zealous and effective legal representation. Our American legal tradition has honored lawyers who, despite their personal beliefs, have zealously represented mass murderers, suspected terrorists, and Nazi marchers.

This sentiment was echoed by Professor Charles Fried of Harvard Law School:^[14]

It is the pride of a nation built on the rule of law that it affords to every man a zealous advocate to defend his rights in court, and of a liberal profession in such a nation that not only is the representation of the dishonorable honorable (and any lawyer is free to represent any person he chooses), but that it is the duty of the profession to make sure that every man has that representation.

On January 17, 2007 Stimson wrote a letter of apology, published in the Washington Post.^[15][16][17] His apology was criticized for the appearance of insincerity.^[18] On January 24, 2007, the Bar Association of San Francisco requested that the State Bar of California investigate Mr. Stimson for possible violations of California ethics rules.^[19]

[edit] Bagram collection point

In February 2006, the New York Times published an article comparing the Guantanamo Bay detention center to the Bagram collection point in Afghanistan.^[20] According to the article, Bagram held approximately the same number of captives as Guantanamo but in far more primitive conditions: captives were detained a dozen to a cell, forced to sleep on foam pads on the floor, and kept in cells with no running water or toilets. Stimson declined to be interviewed about Bagram.

[edit] Resignation

On February 2, 2007, a Department of Defense spokesman announced that Stimson had decided to resign because the controversy had "hampered his ability to be effective in" his office. Stimson said that the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, had not asked him to resign.^[21]

Stimson is currently a "senior legal fellow" at the Heritage Foundation and an instructor at the Naval Justice School in Newport, R.I.^[22]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] Websites

• Stimson's donations to the Republican National Committee at Fundrace.org.
• Stimson's donations to George Bush and other Republican causes at Newsmeat.com.
• Newspapers React to Statements of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs Cully Stimson. National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.

[edit] Video

• C-SPAN Charles Stimson footage (RealPlayer)
• YouTube.com Turley Reacts to Pentagon Attack on Due Process

[edit] Photo images

• U.S. Department of Defense DefenseLink: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs Cully Stimson on Sept. 6, 2006. DoD photo by R. D. Ward. (Released)
• U.S. Department of State Cully Stimson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Detainee Affairs, DOD, Lt. Gen. John Kimmons, Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence and Brigadier General Thomas L. Hemingway, Legal Adviser to the Appointing Authority, Office of Military Commissions
• Atlantic Free Press Charles Stimson, Terrorizing Lawyers
• Washington Post Views on Detainee Representation Draw Fire