Raven 23: Presumption of Guilt

Aug 20 2021 17 ep. 33 mins 64
Raven 23: Presumption of Guilt Podcast artwork

How did four highly decorated American soldiers become prisoners of war in their own country? This series re-examines the US Department of Justice’s controversial prosecution following a gun battle in Baghdad between Iraqi insurgents and military contractors. Why did the DOJ hold multiple trials for over a decade? Was the DOJ seeking justice? Or playing politics?

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Homecoming

Aug 20 2021 50 mins  
In our final episode, Gina visits with Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Nick Slatten and Paul Slough three months after President Donald J. Trump issued unconditional pardons to free them from prison. They talk about hearing the news that they were coming home to their families for Christmas, and about their hopes and dreams. Support the show

Closing Argument

Aug 20 2021 61 mins  
The men of Raven 23 resist mounting prosecutorial pressure to plead guilty, and must finally face trial -- a legal odyssey that dragged for seven more years and encompassed three trials. In this episode, Gina chronicles the repeated violations of the men’s civil rights at the hands of prosecutors who are aided by a complicit judge.Support the show

The Expendables

Nov 25 2020 54 mins  
Gina examines the role played by the national press in the prosecution of Raven 23.Although he is mere months from taking senior status, Judge Royce Lamberth inexplicably seizes the Raven 23 case, minutes after it is randomly assigned to another judge. This move is consistent with Lamberth’s checkered legal and judicial career.FOR MORE:ADMINISTRATIVE LAW REVIEWRoyce Lamberth's Re

Joe Biden's Baghdad Betrayal

Aug 11 2020 52 mins  
Just two days after Judge Ricardo Urbina threw out the government’s case against Raven 23, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her legal advisors were scheming on ways to revive it.The news of the dismissal reverberated across Iraq, with religious and political leaders demanding that the US Justice Department bring new charges against Dustin Heard, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty

Breaking the Code

Jun 30 2020 30 mins  
Gina and Mike examine the US government’s machinations to overcome the shortcomings of the investigation.Witness accounts begin shifting as US prosecutors pressure witnesses to bring the case to trial in response to mounting political pressure in Iraq.Prosecutors convene a grand jury to try to make manslaughter charges stick against Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Paul Slough and Nic

Congressional Justice For Warriors Caucus Offically Requests Presidental Pardon for Men of Raven 23

May 12 2020 27 mins  
Today, on May 12, the Congressional Justice for Warriors Caucus sent a letter to President Trump formally requesting a Presidential Pardon for the men of Raven 23. Representative Gohmert took the time to speak with Gina about the growing movement in Congress for a Presidential Pardon for Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard - four decorated military veteran

Interview with Derrick Miller, Executive Director of the Justice for Warriors Caucus

May 09 2020 35 mins  
Gina recently interviewed Derrick Miller, the Executive Director of the Justice for Warriors Caucus and Military Adviser to Texas Representative Louie Gohmert. Thanks to Representative Gohmert's leadership, Miller spends every day advocating for military justice reform. Support the show

The Code of Hammurabi

Apr 04 2020 25 mins  
We pick up TWO YEARS after the investigation into the Nisour Square Incident and Blackwaters alleged misconduct US District Judge Ricardo Urbina throws out the case against Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Paul Slough and Nick Slatten, blasting prosecutors for pervasive misconduct and vindictive prosecution. The Raven 23 men pick up their lives cautiously after Urbina’s New Year’s E

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree

Feb 28 2020 24 mins  
Gina and Mike take a look at the US Government's case files, including witness statements and shell casings at the scene, showing that the Raven 23 team was taking incoming gunfire. We take a look at how the US government turned over the investigation into the Nisour Square incident to the Iraqi National Police, which employed shady and, in US courts, illegal tactics that caught th

Stand Down!

Feb 11 2020 23 mins  
In this episode, we’re introduced to: Nick Poulos, Blackwater's detail leader; TJ Hill, a mechanic working for Blackwater, and Keith George, Blackwater's Iraq protection leader. Each of the men recounts his memories of the Nisour Square Incident, and where the government’s inquiry went off track.And Gina sits down with former Raven 23 vehicle commander Tommy Vargas, who has rec