# Why are those hot dogging US jet pilots who killed the Italians not in jail? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 17, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-those-hot-dogging-us-jet-pilots-who-killed-the-italians-not-in-jail/149183 "2003-01-17T05:45:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-those-hot-dogging-us-jet-pilots-who-killed-the-italians-not-in-jail/149183/21 "2003-01-18T03:33:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > > 1. The Status of Forces Agreement isn’t a “type of treaty,” it’s an actual treaty. The words used were “a sort of treaty” which I believe to be correct as meaning “a type of treaty”. > [@](#): > > And lastly, those who are surprised by how many of our Servicemembers who get exonerated at a court-martial would do well to remember that our courts-martial system follows the United States constitution and thus if someone else resents the way that operates (you know, the whole innocent until actually proven in a real court), then that’s just too bad. When the people of countries where US troops are stantioned get the feeling the US military are getting away with murder, then the US may be asked to take their forces home. The fact that a court martial follows certain rules may not be enough to dispel de feeling that they are favoring their own. When in other countries US troops commit crimes which result in the death of foreign nationals and then US justice finds there is no guilt, the nationals of those countries tend to get fed up and frankly, the US would never stand for such a thing if the tables were reversed. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-those-hot-dogging-us-jet-pilots-who-killed-the-italians-not-in-jail/149183/22 "2003-01-18T03:56:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*When the people of countries where US troops are stantioned get the feeling the US military are getting away with murder, then the US may be asked to take their forces home. The fact that a court martial follows certain rules may not be enough to dispel de feeling that they are favoring their own. When in other countries US troops commit crimes which result in the death of foreign nationals and then US justice finds there is no guilt, the nationals of those countries tend to get fed up and frankly, the US would never stand for such a thing if the tables were reversed. \*\* **Sailor** , I’m not at all sure this is at all fair. The outcry in Italy and the outcry in South Korea over what was locally perceived to be an unsatisfactory outcome of a court-martial looks like the same sort of outcry we had over O.J. Simpson’s acquittal. In the old days we had the same sort of hard feelings about Army trucks colliding with German nationals on secondary roads. Court martials, like any other unrigged trial, are unsatisfactory and imprecise instruments of justice. The problem is not so much that court martials are soft on service members who are in conflict with the local population as it is that parts of the local population see having the US Armed Forces around at all is offensive, for a variety of political and economic reasons. For one, I want courts to act on the facts in evidence, not on the locals howling for blood, any blood. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-those-hot-dogging-us-jet-pilots-who-killed-the-italians-not-in-jail/149183/23 "2003-01-18T04:05:41Z")
I am not saying it is fair, I am saying what the perception is in those countries. And no one believes the composition of a jury does not affect the outcome. Of course it does. And I do not think you can acuse the legal systems of Italy or Korea of being any worse than the US system. The nationals of those countries would prefer that people accused of commiting a crime in their territory which resulted in the death of their nationals be judged in their courts. And frankly, I don’t blame them. Americans want the same thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-those-hot-dogging-us-jet-pilots-who-killed-the-italians-not-in-jail/149183.md?page=1)