John Hutson

John Dudley Hutson is a retired United States Navy rear admiral, attorney, and former Judge Advocate General of the Navy. He is the current dean and president of Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire. [ [http://www.piercelaw.edu/deansoffice/hutson.htm John D. Hutson] , Bio at Franklin Pierce Law Center] [http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/us_law/PDF/detainees/Military_Leaders_Letter_President_Bush_FINAL.pdf Open Letter to President Bush] , "Human Rights First", September 9, 2004] Dean Hutson holds a B.A. from Michigan State University, a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, and an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center.

He is a physical fitness and weightlifting enthusiast.

He has discussed having been asked about running for the United States House of Representatives in the second district of New Hampshire, but denies that he intends to do so. [ [http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/REPOSITORY/607020356/1101/NEWS04 Concord Monitor, July 2, 2006] ]

Despite being a lifelong Republican, Hutson was a featured speaker at the 2008 Democratic National Convention on August 25 and August 27, 2008, who later announced that he was switching parties and endorsed Senator Barack Obama. [http://www.demconvention.com/monday-schedule/ DNC Speaker List for August 25, 2008] , "Democratic National Convention", August 25, 2008]

Open letter to President Bush of September 7, 2004

On September 7, 2004 Hutson and seven other retired officers wrote an open letter to President Bush expressing their concern over the number of allegations of abuse of prisoners in U.S. military custody. [http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/us_law/PDF/detainees/Military_Leaders_Letter_President_Bush_FINAL.pdf Open letter to President Bush] ,"Human Rights First", September 7, 2004] In it they wrote: :"We urge you to commit – immediately and publicly – to support the creation of a comprehensive, independent commission to investigate and report on the truth about all of these allegations, and to chart a course for how practices that violate the law should be addressed."

January 2005 Congressional testimony

In January 2005, Dean Hutson, along with Yale Law School dean Harold Koh, testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in opposition to the appointment of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general of the United States, because of his alleged role in attempting to provide legal guidance to the U.S. military justifying abusive interrogation practices, including that the War on Terror "renders obsolete" and "renders quaint" aspects of the Geneva Conventions. [ [http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1345&wit_id=3937 Testimony of Admiral John Hutson] , "U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee", January 6, 2005.

Testimony of Admiral John Hutson]

In November 2005, his activities led the NHCLU to name Hutson their recipient of that year's Bill of Rights Award; Hutson had previously been the featured speaker at the 2004 annual meeting of that organization. [ [http://www.nhclu.org/documents/2005Septemberforexport.pdf PDF September 2005 for export] , "ACLU"]

July 14, 2005 Congressional testimony

Hutson testified before the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, offering his opinion on the detention of "unlawful combatants".cite web
date=Thursday, July 14, 2005
url=http://www.senate.gov/~armed_services/statemnt/2005/July/Hutson%2007-14-05.pdf
title=Testimony of John D. Hutson, (RADM, JAGC, USN (ret))
publisher=Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee
accessdate=March 15
accessyear=2007] Hutson said that he had been an early supporter of trial by military commission — provided those military commissions were conducted fairly. But he thought that the proposed process was flawed, and there had been too long a delay. In his prepared statement he argued that the captives should face charges before Military Courts Martial. And he argued that if they were to be convicted, they should be convicted using a high standard of proof.He also argued that the captives who were not charged should not be held indefinitely.

calia recusal

On March 28, 2006 Hutson, and five other retired officers, called on US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to recuse himself from considering Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/27/AR2006032701913.html Scalia's Recusal Sought in Key Detainee Case: Retired Officers Say Justice's Impartiality Is in Question After Remarks on Combatants] , "Washington Post", March 28 2006] On March 27 2006 comments Scalia had made on the Guantanamo detainees and whether they were entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions were widely republished. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/26/AR2006032600819.html No Legal Rights for Enemy Combatants, Scalia Says: 'War Is War,' Justice Tells Audience] , "Washington Post", March 27 2006] The officers felt that Scalia's comments showed he had already prejudged the merits of Hamdan's case before hearing the arguments in court.The Washington Post observed that while a Justice was required to recuse himself or herself when they had a conflict of interest, the decision as to whether recusal was necessary was left to the discretion of the Justice in question. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/27/AR2006032701913.html Scalia's Recusal Sought in Key Detainee Case: Retired Officers Say Justice's Impartiality Is in Question After Remarks on Combatants] , "Washington Post", March 28, 2006]

July 2006 Congressional testimony

The "Boston Globe" reported on July 11, 2006 that Hutson was scheduled to testify before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. [http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/07/11/franklin_pierce_law_dean_to_testify_on_terrorism_tribunals/ Franklin Pierce Law dean to testify on terrorism tribunals] , "Boston Globe", July 11, 2006] The Globe reported, at length, comments Hutson had made regarding a memo from Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England telling Armed Forces personnel to comply with the Geneva Conventions in its treatment of captives: "It kind of takes the wind out of the sails of people who say the Congress should simply authorize what the president had done in his original order. I'd like to see something coming of the CIA or Negroponte similarly."

Comments on Bush plan for new Guantanamo military commissions

The "Washington Post" reports that Hutson commented on a draft bill from the Bush administration for new Guantanamo military commissions to replace those struck down by the US Supreme Court. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080101334.html White House Proposal Would Expand Authority of Military Courts] , "Washington Post", August 2, 2006] According to the Washington Post::" [Hutson] said the rules would evidently allow the government to tell a prisoner: 'We know you're guilty. We can't tell you why, but there's a guy, we can't tell you who, who told us something. We can't tell you what, but you're guilty."'

"A second chance to get it right"

Hutson published an article entitled: "Detainee treatment: a second chance to get it right", on August 3, 2006.
John D. Hutson, [http://www.progressive.org/media_mphutson080306 Detainee treatment: a second chance to get it right] , "Progressive Media Project", August 3, 2006]

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib

Hutson was one of the lawyers and former Navy Officers interviewed for the HBO documentary "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib".

ee also

*David M. Brahms
*James P. Cullen
*John L. Fugh
*Robert Gard
*Lee F. Gunn
*Donald J. Guter
*Joseph Hoar
*Richard O'Meara

References

External links

* [http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/cornyn200502020746.asp "Vindicating Gonzales"] , John Cornyn, "National Review Online", February 2, 2005]
* [http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20050114.html "The Torture Memo By Judge Jay S. Bybee That Haunted Alberto Gonzales's Confirmation Hearings"] , John Dean, Writ, January 14, 2005