Rebecca S. Snyder

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Rebecca Snyder, while working on Omar Khadr's case.
Rebecca Snyder, while working on Omar Khadr's case.

Rebecca S. Snyder is an American lawyer who works for the law firm Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in Washington DC.[1] She is notable for her work as co-counsel for Omar Khadr, a detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention camp, charged with murder for the death of an American soldier during a skirmish in Afghanistan on July 27, 2002.[2][3][4]

[edit] Naval career

Snyder was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve. She served in the Judge Advocate General Corp.

date case notes
2004 United States v. Matthew R. Walther
  • Seaman Recruit Matthew R. Walther pleaded guilty, in 2002, to possession of five packets of marijuana, and bringing it on base with the intention of selling it.[5] He was sentenced to 18 months in the brig.
  • On appeal the presiding judge's sentence was overturned because he erred in allowing certain testimony.[5] Snyder had objected to the testimony, at the time. Lieutenant Synder the appeallant's counsel.
  • The rules for courts martial require judges to consider the potential to rehabilitate those who have been convicted.[5]
2004 United States v. Michael J. Henderson
  • Damage Controlman Fireman Apprentice (DCFA) Michael J. Henderson pleaded guilty to constructing and placing an improvised explosive device onboard the USS Tarawa.[6]
  • Henderson planned to explode the bomb on board to commit suicide.[6]
  • Henderson had initially pleaded guilty, in a special court martial, to "negligently hazarding a vessel" -- a non-capital crime.[6] He could have been charged with a capital offense, if he had not waived trial before a general court martial. The appeals court ruled that his jurisdictional appeal was invalid because he had pleaded guilty.
2004-
2007		 United States of America v. David Matthew Hicks
  • Lieutenant Commander Snyder was assigned to help defend Guantanamo detainee David Hicks.[7][8]
  • According to an article in the Stanford Law Review, after three years of preparation the presiding officer unexpectedly barred Snyder from participating in Hicks's trial.
"...Instead, bizarrely, he tossed Hicks’s other two lawyers out of the hearing. Col. Kohlmann ruled that Rebecca Snyder was not qualified as military counsel because she was not on active duty status, despite being appointed to OMC-D — a decision that Dratel believes was entirely ultra vires."
2006 United States v. Raymond Olafson
  • Wherein Cpt. Olafson was found guilty of rape, indecent liberties with a female under the age of 16, and two specifications of indecent assault in violation of Articles 120 and 134, Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. §§ 920 and 934. He was sentenced to a dismissal, confinement for three years in the brig, and total forfeiture of all pay and allowances.[9]

[edit] Civilian practice

Snyder has worked in the field of securities exchange in her civilian practice at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker.[10]

Snyder has also continued to work on behalf of Guantanamo captives in her civilian practice, assisting Omar Khadr.[11] In press reports of her efforts on his behalf she is referred to as a civilian. As part of her efforts on Khadr's behalf Snyder appeared before the Human Rights subcommittee of the Parliament of Canada.[12][13] The next day Snyder and Keubler met with Stephane Dion, leader of the Opposition.[14]

On February 4, 2008 Snyder argued that even if Khadr had killed an American soldier during the invasion of Afghanistan, it was not a war crime since killing soldiers was "part of what war is about". However, the U.S. position that Khadr should be tried at the military tribunal as he operated without a uniform and quartered himself amongst civilians contra to the Laws of Land Warfare was summed up by Marine Corps Maj. Jeffrey Groharing, who said "The accused and the terrorists he was working with did not belong to a legitimate army. They belonged to al-Qaeda,"[15]:

[edit] References

  1. ^ BMHM, Rebecca S. Snyder details
  2. ^ Steven Edwards, Juliet O'Neill. "Ruling called 'an embarrassment'", Regina Leader Post, May 1, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-27. 
  3. ^ William Kuebler, Rebecca S. Snyder. "Omar Ahmed Khadr v. US and US Court of Military Commission Review -- Petition for review", United States Department of Justice, October 9, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-05-27. 
  4. ^ "United States of America v. Omar Ahmed Khadr", United States Court of Military Commission Review, September 24, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-05-27. 
  5. ^ a b c "United States v. Matthew R. Walther", United States Navy, 26 August 2004. Retrieved on 2008-05-27. 
  6. ^ a b c "United States v. Michael J. Henderson", United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, March 26, 2004. Retrieved on 2008-05-25. 
  7. ^ David Luban. "Lawfare and legal ethics in Guantánamo", Stanford Law Review, February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-28. 
  8. ^ Amy Goodman. "US kangaroo court’s first victim", The Post, April 4, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-05-29. 
  9. ^ "United States v. Raymond Olafson", U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, 8 June 2006. Retrieved on 2008-05-25. 
  10. ^ Kirby D. Behre, Jeremy Evans, Edward Griffin, Rebecca Snyder. "SEC Broker-Dealer Record Retention Requirements", Paul Hastings, April 20, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-05-29. 
  11. ^ "Omar Khadr's Lawyers Comment on the Case", Miami Herald, March 17, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-27. 
  12. ^ Omar El Akkab. "Khadr lawyer takes case to Parliament Hill", Globe and Mail, April 29, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-27. 
  13. ^ "MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS", The Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, April 29, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.  mirror
  14. ^ "Khadr Must Be Repatriated to Receive Just Treatment", Liberal Party of Canada, April 30, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-29. 
  15. ^ "Lawyers for Khadr want charges dropped", CBC News, February 4, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.  mirror