No dismissal in court-martial of USS Fitzgerald commander
By DIANNA CAHN | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 22, 2018
WASHINGTON — A military judge has ruled that statements by the Navy’s top two officers about a deadly 2017 destroyer collision constituted apparent unlawful command influence, but not enough to merit a dismissal of the case.
The court-martial of Cmdr. Bryce Benson, the USS Fitzgerald’s former commanding officer, will go on.
Seven sailors were killed June 17, 2017, when the Fitzgerald and a commercial vessel, the ACX Crystal, collided in the dark of night in busy waters off the coast of Japan. Benson is accused of two counts of dereliction of duty through neglect and improper hazarding a vessel through negligence. A further charge of negligent homicide has been dropped.
https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/no-dismissal-in-court-martial-of-uss-fitzgerald-commander-1.561838
