Patrick J. Callahan

Patrick J. Callahan is a Marine Corps Judge Advocate stationed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. He is currently a Captain and has been stationed at MCRD San Diego since 2004 and has spent the majority of his time there as a defense counsel. He quickly developed a reputation as a very aggressive and effective defense counsel and has since become the most requested Marine Judge Advocate on the West Coast. Captain Callahan will be leaving the Marines in January of 2009 to practice law as a civilian attorney.

Biography

Early life

Captain Callahan was born in Maryland, and spent much of his earlier life in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. While living in the Appalacian mountains, Captain Callahan first began to hone his outdoor skills. As soon as he was old enough, he entered into his childhood dream of hunting; his first kill at age twelve was a white-tail doe, by recollections of the author probably one-hundred pounds field dressed. Captain Callahan also learned to fish, and hunt small game as well; time spent with nature taught him many invaluable lesson, not the least of which was the ability to discern between edible and toxic flora.

Academic History

Captain Callahan received his undergraduate training at Pensacola Christian College, where he earned Bachelor's of Science degrees in both Pre-Law and History, graduating Magna Cum Laude in each field of study.

Captain Callahan's graduate training to this date includes a Juris Doctorate ("J.D.") from the University of Mississippi.

Career

Captain Callahan's first case to receive national attention was US v Roughan. Staff Sergeant Roughan was a Marine Corps drill instructor charged with manslaughter in the drowning death of another drill instructor during a training exercise. [cite news |first=Rick |last=Rogers |title=Marine's drowning is blamed on Corps |url=http://recall.uniontrib.com/uniontrib/20060502/news_1n2marines.html |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=2006-05-02] SSgt Roughan was found not guilty of all charges and was later prompted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

He also represented Lance Corporal Jerry Shumate. LCpl Shumate was one of the "Pendleton 8" charged in the Hamdania incident. [cite news |title= Relatives shocked by Marine murder allegations |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/22/hamdaniya/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=2006-06-23 ] LCpl Shumate pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and obstruction of justice, the other charges, including murder and kidnapping were dropped. He served 15 months of confinement in the Camp Pendleton brig. [cite web |title=The Pendleton 8 (Kilo Co, 3/5 Marines) |url=http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/Hamdania/DefendOurMarines.htm ] Captain Callahan has also served as the defense counsel in several high profile recruit abuse cases. In the controversial case of US v Delarosa, he zealously defended a drill instructor from abuse charges while arguing that the Marine Corps is a tougher fighting force than the other branches and that if Marine drill instructors do not push recruits they will be substandard Marines who will die in combat. [cite news |title=Drill Instructors Accused Of Abusing Recruits Appear In Court |url=http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/14084569/detail.html |publisher=KNSD-TV |date=2007-09-10 ] [cite news |title=Marine instructor accused of abusing recruits pleads not guilty |url=http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/11/news/latest_news/963e3c99a1f353f086257353001348a0.txt |publisher=Associated Press ] Sgt Delarosa was acquitted of all assault charges and only convicted of violating an order dealing with the training of recruits. He received no punishment from the court-martial. [cite news |title=Marine Instructor Cleared of Assault |url= [http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_wires/2007Sep12/0,4675,MarinesInstructorAbuse,00.html |publisher=Associated Press |date=2007-09-12 ]

Captain Callahan also defended Sgt Glass, a drill instructor who made national headlines when he was charged with 225 counts of recruit abuse. [cite news |first=Elliot |last=Spagat |title=Marine Charged With 225 Counts of Abuse |url=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Aug23/0,4670,MarinesInstructorAbuse,00.html |publisher=Associated Press |date=2007-08-23 ] Though the process of the court martial, many of the charges were dismissed; only 10 went to the jury for a verdict. [cite news |first=Tony |last=Perry |title=Jury gets Marine assault case |url=http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-me-drill14nov14,1,636079.story |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2007-11-14 ] Sgt Glass was convicted and ordered to serve 6 months of confinement; however, he was released early after serving only 3. [cite news |first=Andrew and Kimberly Johnson |last=Tilghman |title=DI in recruit abuse case released early |url=http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/03/marine_glass_030708/ |work=Marine Corps Times |date=2008-03-08 ] Sgt Glass never denied the basis for the charges. He insisted that he was following orders from his superiors and that the harsh treatment was necessary to ensure that the Marines did not die in Iraq. Sgt Glass was an exemplary Marine who had served two combat tours in Iraq.

Captain Callahan has also represented a number of sailors as well. He is currently representing Lieutenant Commander Penland who is charged with adultery and obstruction of justice. Lieutenant Commander Penland was a supply officer and the defense has argued that she is only being charged as reprisal for alleging financial misconduct by the senior Navy officers in regards to several contacts that fell under her purview as a supply officer. [cite news |first=Steve |last=Liewer |title=Navy officer pleads not guilty to charges in alleged affair |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20080222-1420-bn22penland.html |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=2008-02-22 ]

ee also

References