Col. Gunn criticizes Pentagon efforts on prisoner abuse at Guantanamo

Air Force Col. Will Gunn, then chief counsel of the Department of Defense Office of Military Commissions, keynoted the Pro Bono Publico Awards Luncheon on Aug. 8 during the 2005 Annual Meeting. Col. Gunn, now retired, was responsible for ensuring representation for those on a trial before a military commission, and led the defense for several detainees in Guatanamo Bay.

In his very frank and open statement, Gunn questioned the Pentagon’s failure to release its report on the abuse of detainees and on detainees not getting fair trials. He warned that if the Pentagon is to have the confidence of the American people, it will have to be more transparent in its actions. Gunn lamented the fact that some detainees are not even allowed to be present at their own hearings, and highlighted how important it is in our system of justice that we offer a competent defense to all defendants, even — and especially — to the most reviled.

At the luncheon, the following received 2005 Pro Bono Publico Awards: J. Philip Burt of Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Deborah Ebel of Atlanta; Lawrence J. Fox of Philadelphia; Elizabeth McCallum of Washington, D.C.; and Jeffrey A. Simes of New York City. Ebel received the Ann Liechty Pro Bono Award, given to a lawyer who has provided outstanding pro bono legal services to children in custody cases. More information on all of the recipients is available here.

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