Chaplain Under Fire for Christian Prayer Feels Navy Trial May Be Rigged
by Chad Groening
July 6, 2006
(AgapePress) - - An evangelical Christian U.S. Navy chaplain facing a court martial later this summer says the deck is really stacked against him in his upcoming legal battle. The Naval officer, who stands accused of praying in Jesus' name near the White House while in uniform, has embarked on a costly campaign to fight for his religious freedom, his free speech, and his military career. As Lieutenant Gordon James Klingenschmitt sees it, Navy regulations allow him to pray according to the tenets of his own denomination. That is why on March 30 of this year he prayed in Jesus' name during a news conference in Lafayette Park. Now, however, the lieutenant says the Navy is pulling out all the stops to prosecute him for his action.
Now, the Christian Navy chaplain says his fate is going to rest in the hands of a triumvirate of his fellow Naval officers. "I'll have a panel of three of my peers," he explains. "One will probably be a chaplain and two line officers, and I have to convince two of those people that I was innocent, that I had proper permission by regulation to wear my uniform while I'm saying prayers."
But convincing them is going to be "a hard sell," Klingenschmitt says, "because all the admirals in the Navy are against me. They're all coming after me, and they're all trying to punish me for this event. And they're the ones who get to pick the jury. I don't get any say-so in who my jurors are."
Also, Klingenschmitt points out, his Navy-appointed legal representative and the veteran Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer chosen to prosecute his case are not exactly on a level playing field in terms of experience. "The Navy has assigned me a brand new lieutenant who has never tried a case before," the chaplain notes; but meanwhile, he says, "they've hired an O-5 commander who's got 16 years of court martial experience to prosecute me."
Under the circumstances, the embattled Christian officer says he has been left with no choice but to look outside the military for legal assistance, even though the move has already proven costly and his expenses are continuing to mount. "Really, what option do I have?" he says. "I had to hire a private civilian attorney and pay him $10,000 -- that's money I don't have."
Klingenschmitt believes bringing in private civilian counsel will improve his chances considerably as he confronts the court battle ahead. Meanwhile, he is asking concerned Christian supporters to visit his website (http://www.persuade.tv) and contribute to his legal defense fund.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
