U.S. Army Accepts Guilty Plea and Life Imprisonment Sentence and Resolves Hand-Over Controversy with German State

On December 19, 1994, the Army staff judge advocate accepted an offer of Mr. Smith, a G.I. in Germany, to plead guilty in exchange for life imprisonment, thereby resolving the controversy with the State of Hesse which publicly opposed handing over Mr. Patrick M. Smith due to the potential for the imposition of the death penalty. The case illustrates the regular objection of most Western European countries to extradition and/or hand-overs under the Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) when the death penalty may be utilized…(more)