THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 15, 1995 TAG: 9505150065
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: FORT DRUM, N.Y. LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
An Army officer was dismissed from the military but received no prison time Sunday for making an unauthorized inspection of a Haitian prison, where he feared inmates were being abused.
A panel of five officers rejected a maximum sentence of six years and three months for Capt. Lawrence Rockwood, ordering his discharge and taking away two-thirds of his pay and allowances.
The panel convicted the 15-year veteran late Saturday of four of five charges stemming from his Sept. 30 investigation of reported abuse at Haiti's National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince.
Besides prison time, a prosecutor had asked for Rockwood's dismissal and forfeiture of all benefits. He would have faced a maximum of 10 years had he been convicted of all five charges.
Rockwood, a counterintelligence officer who was with the 10th Mountain Division in Haiti during the U.S. intervention there, accused his superiors of ignoring reports of mistreatment of inmates and said it was his duty to act because further delay could cost lives.
Rockwood, 36, was convicted of conduct unbecoming an officer for failing to show up for his assigned night shift; sneaking away from the American compound just outside Port-au-Prince without permission and going to the prison to conduct his inspection; endangering himself and the U.S. Embassy liaison officer who had to retrieve him; and of leaving an Army hospital without permission.
He had been sent to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation after his arrest.
Rockwood was found not guilty of dereliction of duty.
He can appeal the convictions.
Rockwood's verdict must be reviewed by the staff judge advocate and Maj. Gen. David Meade, commander of the 10th Mountain Division and Rockwood's post commander.
Meade, who ordered the court-martial, has several options, including dismissing the verdict or reducing the penalty. ILLUSTRATION: Rockwood
by CNB