Navy SEAL Trial, Top Weekend Events

Speaker 1: 00:02 You are listening to KPBS midday edition. I'm jade Hindman, another revelation from a defense witness in the war crimes trial of navy sealed chief Edward Gallagher. Thursday KPBS military reporter Steve Walsh has been in the courtroom covering the trial over the last two weeks and he joins me now from naval base San Diego. Steve, welcome. Let's start with the revelation made in court on Thursday by Marine Staff Sergeant Giorgio Carrillo. What did he say? Speaker 2: 00:29 Carrillo was in the Iraq youth of Marine Raider, but he was with the seal platoon interacting 2017 and he says that he was there when the wounded isis fighter thing and that, uh, he saw Gallagher starts with him. But that's the big revelation is that after the fighter had died, he said that he, uh, took a trophy photo with the Museum of actually the first to take a trophy photo with him and that he lifted up the head of the, of the dead fighter and the bandage that had been covering his neck flipped open and that he saw no stab wound on his neck. Speaker 1: 01:11 How does Carrillo his testimony square with what we've heard from other witnesses. Speaker 2: 01:15 In essence, Carrillo was saying that there is no stamping if there is no stamping than ya'll hugger cannot be accused of killing or even attempted murder when it comes to the wounded, the de Chamie. So that's the issue here at this point is not every one can be telling the truth because Scott says that he's the one who closed off the airway, fix the, the prisoner after Gallagher left. But he also says that he stabbed him once. He said that the injury would not have killed the fighter. But he did say that he stamped him. Chief Craig Miller says that he stabbed him at Walton Times, and he believes that in fact, that injury was life threatening and did kill him. So not every one of these witnesses can be telling the truth. Speaker 1: 02:00 Hmm. And Steve reminded us of the charges Gallagher faces. Speaker 2: 02:04 So Gallagher is charged with killing of the wounded to detain me a in his care. He's also charged with opposing, with a body. He's also charged with shooting at a, an elderly man and a young woman. Speaker 1: 02:18 MMM. And so we'll Gallagher actually testify. Speaker 2: 02:24 Well that's the question. Um, we've been asking that around here. Uh, so far the defense has not ruled that out. I'm thinking at this point from what people are telling me we're starting to get towards the end of this case and we haven't really gotten the feeling that Gallagher will testify. There are some questions whether or not prosecutors might bring back some of the earlier witnesses like Cory Scott to really press them on the notion that, uh, that he says that he will actually kill the wounded fighter by closing off his airway. Also, he says that he saw a Gallagher stamped and that the prosecutors may bring back some of witnesses, but right now we don't have a real indication that Gallagher himself will take the stand. Speaker 1: 03:05 And I know the prosecution hasn't been reacting publicly to the testimony, but what impact could this new revelation all have on the case? Speaker 2: 03:13 Well, this all plays into the defense narrative. That this is an investigation that led by MCIs agent Joe War Pinsky who had only been at MCIs or about two and a half years after being at the border patrol for seven years. Their contention is that this is a sloppy prosecution that targeted Gallagher from the very beginning and that it missed a lot of steps. So all of this conflicting testimony, all of these bombshell revelations from the stand play into that narrative. Speaker 1: 03:45 The trial is underway again this morning. What can you tell us about what's happening so far today? Speaker 2: 03:49 So this morning we're hearing from the defense they're trying to get a grant of immunity for lieutenant port here who is the lieutenant in charge of that, the tune now courtier is also charged in this case with overseeing a reenlistment ceremony over the body. The defense is saying that 40 year will come in and he will say that he didn't see any of this. That also that there've been several seals who have come in and said that they told Portier about the war crimes allegations that ultimately became part of this case and that he did not move this up the chain of command and that he didn't do anything to stop this. Um, the defense is saying that he'll come in and contradict that and say that they never told them specifically about the allegations that Gallagher is now charged with. We don't know how that's going to turn out. I will say that it's very unusual to grant immunity for somebody to testify in one case when they're actually charged in a similar manner. So it will be a quite a high hurdle for the defense this morning. Speaker 1: 04:52 Other news that came out this week, another defense witness, Cory Scott, a medic who testified last week that he killed the Isis fighter by plugging his breathing tube, uh, may face perjury charges. What can you tell us about that? Speaker 2: 05:04 There has not really been a lot of movement and there've been some stories that have come out about an email sent by what is called the convening authority. Basically the people who are in charge of this court marshal, which may raise questions that, that Cory Scott May face, perjury charges. I will say this has come up in court as well and judge Aaron Rue has sent that immunity agreement seemed quite clear that the only thing that Cory Scott could ever be charged with is perjury. A if he made false statements inside the courtroom, in this case, not if he made false statements, let's say to MCIs or to prosecutors in earlier interviews. That's gonna make it very hard for prosecutors to make their case. Also, I talked with the, uh, the navy seals and their, uh, their spokesman, Tamra Lawrence and Cory scouts agreement is pretty solid. It not only protects them against prosecution by military court, it also protects them against prosecution by federal prosecutors and also any sort of military punishment, which is often called nonjudicial punishment, which would include whether or not they could actually try to remove him from the military. As part of this. When I talked to Tim, Ron Lawrence, you said that they're keeping all of their options open, but certainly no charges have been filed against them. Speaker 3: 06:23 Do you expect the trial to wrap up early next week? Speaker 2: 06:26 This has been a very interesting trial with a lot of twists, but the judge has set until July 5th for this case to wrap up. There is some talk that they could have closing arguments on Monday and that the jury might be able to start deliberations beginning on Tuesday. Speaker 3: 06:42 I've been speaking with KPBS military reporter Steve Walsh. Steve. Thank you. Speaker 2: 06:47 Thanks Jane. Speaker 3: 06:48 And you're listening to KPBS midday edition. Speaker 3: 06:56 This week is all about shifting your perspective, whether it's a new look at Harry Potter baseball songs interpreted by the symphony or a modern way of looking at 18th century art KPBS arts editor, Nina Garren is here to tell us about it all. Nina, welcome. Hello. So there's a play that debuted in San Diego earlier this month called puffs. Tell us about it. It's called puffs or seven increasingly eventful years at a certain school of magic and magic. Yeah, it's a play that imagines the world of Harry Potter told through the perspective of the Hufflepuffs. So there's three friends, but instead of Ron Harry in her Miami, it's Wayne Oliver and Megan. Interesting. So a, do you know about the healthful pups? What does it mean to actually tell a story from their perspective? So of the four houses in the Harry Potter world, the Hufflepuffs are inclusive, they value hard work, patience, loyalty. Um, their motto is those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil. Speaker 3: 08:00 I was trying to compare it to like if a neighborhood, and I really couldn't think of a neighborhood that was like the Hufflepuffs. I think it's just kind of a utopian idea. Interesting. So this was actually pretty popular in New York, wasn't it? Yeah, it debuted off Broadway in 2015 and it was just meant to go on for a few nights, but it's still playing now. Um, it closes in August. It was also recorded and screened at movie theaters as part of like a fathom events, special screaming. And do you have to know a lot about Harry Potter to see the show? It is a standalone play, but it definitely helps if you know Harry Potter because there are just so many references, including in the beginning when they introduced Cedric diggory who is basically the rock star of the Hufflepuffs. Alright, so you've got to be fluent in Harry Potter. It's helpful. All right, so let's listen to a clip from the off-broadway version of puffs. Here's an introduction. The House Speaker 1: 08:55 of puff. Speaker 4: 08:58 Whoa, that pops. Spoiler alert. It's not everyone's favorite. It's when our hat speaks, you listen. And the new recruits were quickly whisked away to a quaint little basement somewhere near the kitchens. Welcome. Did I like to call? Yeah, the pops in the saucer. His attempt at earning points and making friends. Speaker 1: 09:22 I am so entertained just from that clip. Yeah, isn't it really fun? Play pumps runs through July 21st at how pack theater in Poway. Uh, next onto the star spangled pops, the San Diego symphonies, Bayside summer nights returns this weekend with star-spangled pops. What is this concert? Speaker 3: 09:41 This is always the opening concert. The San Diego symphony plays patriotic favorites and they also do some classics from movies and Broadway. And this year it features Broadway performer Ross Lake Heights. He is in frozen on Broadway and it also has the San Diego master chorale. And what we love about the Bayside summer nights is that they end in fireworks. Speaker 1: 10:04 Here's a clip of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra performing and armed forces medley from the album star-spangled songs. Speaker 5: 10:27 [inaudible] Speaker 1: 10:28 there is something new for this opening weekend. Tell us what's happening on Sunday. On Sunday there Speaker 3: 10:33 doing a show called play ball, some phonic celebration of Padres at 50 and so you're going to hear classical music versions of baseball songs and stadium favorites and you'll also get visuals of Padres. Greatest moments Speaker 1: 10:47 star-spangled pops happens tonight and Saturday. And the Padre celebration is Sunday at Embarcadero, marina park south a the Tim can museum is a museum known for its old European works but something new will be on display. Speaker 3: 11:01 Yeah, they have an artist in residence program and this one features modern sculpture, Roman DeSalvo. He's working on a piece called electric picnic, which is kind of a combination of nature mixed with an engineering set. Speaker 1: 11:16 And Electric Picnic is inspired by a painting. So tell us about the inspiration. Speaker 3: 11:20 It's an 18th century frog and painting called blind man's buff. I'm specifically, he was inspired by these gnarled branches that frame the piece. Um, the painting is otherwise very peaceful, but there does have these menacing branches on the sides. And who is Roman DeSalvo? He is a local sculptor who is based in San Diego and he's known for doing these large installations and he mixes, found objects with natural elements. He has a mural and La Jolla. He also did a piece with suspended tree branches at a park near Seaport village. Electric Picnic is on view through the end of August at the Tim Kit. You can find more arts events@kpbs.org slash. Arts. I've been speaking with KPBS arts editor, Nina Garren. Nina, thank you. Thanks. Have a great weekend. You too. And you're listening to KPBS midday edition.