A South Carolina veteran is upset after a judge ordered him to leave the courtroom in Idaho because he was in uniform.
Lt. Col. Fred Flynn, a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, flew to Pocatello to attend the trial of Dustin Sweeney, also a veteran who served in Iraq and also show Sweeney his support. Flynn says Sweeney got into trouble after arriving back in the states after serving. He says Sweeney was having trouble finding a job and then got addicted to prescription meds. Flynn says he wore his uniform on purpose to show Sweeney he supported him and was there for him.
But shortly after arriving in the courtroom, Flynn says he was asked to leave, “when the court martial walked up and told me that the judge was uncomfortable with me being in court in uniform, I didn’t believe it. I said ‘can you say that again?’ I really could not understand what he was saying. And he said ‘you need to leave the court'”
Flynn says the judge thought wearing the uniform would influence the jury. Flynn left without objection.
He also says it didn’t make sense, because the bailiff, the martials, and police officers are all in court in uniform.
