Patrick M. McCarthy
Encyclopedia
Patrick M. McCarthy is an American
lawyer and officer in the United States Navy
.
He was appointed Commander
on July 12, 2001.
He was appointed Captain
on May 23, 2006.
Captain McCarthy was Staff Judge Advocate in Okinawa, Japan
from November 1992 until July 1995, legal advisor to the Commandant
of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy
from July 1995 to August 1997, Staff Judge Advocate to the Iceland Defense Force
from June 1998 to July 2001, Staff Judge Advocate of Joint Task Force Guantanamo
from May 2006 to July 2008, and in 2010 was Staff Judge advocate to Joint Task Force 435
(TF 435), which is responsible for U.S. detention policy in Afghanistan
.
for murdering Adrianne Jones. When a chaplian came forward and informed McCarthy that Midshipmen had indicated Ms. Zamora had participated in the murder, McCarthy called authorities in the Fort Worth, Texas
area, and Ms. Zamora was finally arrested, and later convicted, for the crime. McCarthy was eventually called as a witness at the trial of Zamora.
’s Staff Judge Advocate, its lead attorney, from May 2006 to Summer, 2008.
He was interviewed on the program, "Fresh Air":
He filed an affidavit, accompanying a court filing, noting that detainee lawyers had gathered information from the detainees for news organizations, and the lawyers had provided detainees with accounts of events outside Guantanimo, like a speech at an Amnesty International conference and details of terrorist attacks. Such information, his affidavit said, threatens the security of the camp, as it could incite violence among the detainees.
He said that in one case a detainee's attorney took questions from a BBC reporter with him into a meeting with a detainee at the camp, and that such indirect interviews are "inconsistent with the purpose of counsel access" at the prison.
Captain McCarthy gave testimony at the trial of Omar Khadr
, where he stated “Mr. Khadr was always very respectful...He had a pleasant demeanor. He was friendly.” Captain McCarthy went on to state “Fifteen-year-olds, in my opinion, should not be held to the same level of accountability as adults”, arguing that Omar Khadr has the potential to be rehabilitated.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and officer in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
He was appointed Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
on July 12, 2001.
He was appointed Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
on May 23, 2006.
Captain McCarthy was Staff Judge Advocate in Okinawa, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from November 1992 until July 1995, legal advisor to the Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
from July 1995 to August 1997, Staff Judge Advocate to the Iceland Defense Force
Iceland Defense Force
The Iceland Defense Force was a military command of the United States armed forces from 1951 to 2006. The IDF, created at the request of NATO, came into existence when the United States signed an agreement to provide for the defense of Iceland, which does not, and did not, have its own unified...
from June 1998 to July 2001, Staff Judge Advocate of Joint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo is a U.S. military joint task force based at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on the southeastern end of the island. JTF-GTMO falls under US Southern Command...
from May 2006 to July 2008, and in 2010 was Staff Judge advocate to Joint Task Force 435
Joint Task Force 435
Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435 is a task force created to control detention operations for the United States Department of Defense in Afghanistan. It was established by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in September, 2009 to assume responsibility for U.S...
(TF 435), which is responsible for U.S. detention policy in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
United States Naval Academy
Then Lt. Cdr. McCarthy, while posted as legal advisor to the Commandant of Midshipmen, was involved in the arrest and eventual conviction of Diane ZamoraDiane Zamora
Diane Michelle Zamora , is a former United States Naval Academy midshipman who is serving a life sentence for her role in the December 4, 1995 murder of Adrianne Jones, a girl Zamora believed was a romantic rival for her boyfriend, David Graham..-Relationship with Graham:Friends and family of the...
for murdering Adrianne Jones. When a chaplian came forward and informed McCarthy that Midshipmen had indicated Ms. Zamora had participated in the murder, McCarthy called authorities in the Fort Worth, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
area, and Ms. Zamora was finally arrested, and later convicted, for the crime. McCarthy was eventually called as a witness at the trial of Zamora.
Guantanamo Bay
He was appointed Joint Task Force GuantanamoJoint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo is a U.S. military joint task force based at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on the southeastern end of the island. JTF-GTMO falls under US Southern Command...
’s Staff Judge Advocate, its lead attorney, from May 2006 to Summer, 2008.
He was interviewed on the program, "Fresh Air":
He filed an affidavit, accompanying a court filing, noting that detainee lawyers had gathered information from the detainees for news organizations, and the lawyers had provided detainees with accounts of events outside Guantanimo, like a speech at an Amnesty International conference and details of terrorist attacks. Such information, his affidavit said, threatens the security of the camp, as it could incite violence among the detainees.
He said that in one case a detainee's attorney took questions from a BBC reporter with him into a meeting with a detainee at the camp, and that such indirect interviews are "inconsistent with the purpose of counsel access" at the prison.
Captain McCarthy gave testimony at the trial of Omar Khadr
Omar Khadr
Omar Ahmed Khadr is a Canadian child soldier and one of the juveniles held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He was convicted of five charges under the United States Military Commissions Act of 2009 including murder in violation of the law of war and providing material support for terrorism,...
, where he stated “Mr. Khadr was always very respectful...He had a pleasant demeanor. He was friendly.” Captain McCarthy went on to state “Fifteen-year-olds, in my opinion, should not be held to the same level of accountability as adults”, arguing that Omar Khadr has the potential to be rehabilitated.