JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash., July 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. Army sergeant facing court martial for allegedly leading a group of soldiers accused of killing unarmed Afghan men faces a new hearing, officials said.
Sgt. Calvin Gibbs' new hearing was scheduled Thursday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, CNN reported.
Gibbs is one of a dozen soldiers from the 5th Stryker Brigade, based at Lewis-McChord, accused of participating in a plot to kill three civilians in Afghanistan, then plant weapons on the victims to cover up the alleged crimes.
The hearing is expected to give Gibbs' attorneys their first opportunity to challenge Pvt. Jeremy Morlock's contention that Gibbs masterminded the plan to kill Afghan civilians and recruited fellow soldiers to carry out the killings. Morlock pleaded guilty to three counts of murder in March and was sentenced to 24 years in a military prison.
Gibbs had a similar pre-trial hearing in November, after which the military court determined he could face court martial on several charges, including three counts of murder. He is facing a potential life sentence in a military prison.
A request for Thursday's second pre-hearing was granted after Gibbs' attorneys argued they should be allowed to question Morlock.
"Up until now, we have had to rely on statements," Gibbs' attorney Phillip Stackhouse told CNN. "This will be our first chance to interview some of these witnesses."
All of the accused were members of a 2nd Infantry Division brigade operating near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010.
Besides Gibbs, two other U.S. soldiers face murder charges and another faces charges of soliciting the murder of an Afghan civilian. The other men face a variety of charges, including helping to cover up the killings and intimidating other soldiers to keep quiet about the alleged plot and alleged drug use in the unit.
