The military judge presiding over the court-martial of Army Lietenant Colonel Terrence Lakin, who earlier this year refused to deploy when ordered to Afghanistan, has denied Lakin's request for an order seeking to obtain President Obama's birth certificate and other records.
LTC Lakin claims the President has not proven to his satisfaction that he is a natural-born citizen and therefore entitled to hold his office. Lakin recorded a number of YouTube videos to explain that he was inviting a court-martial to prove his contention that without such evidence, the orders he received -- from superiors in the chain of command, not directly from the President -- need not be obeyed.
Lakin's attorneys sought an order compelling that subpoenas be issued for the President's school records and other evidence and witnesses to testify about the President's birth. The military judge ruled today that such material is not relevant to the charges against LTC Lakin and will not be admitted.
Excellent coverage of the Lakin court-martial saga -- including commentary by experienced military prosecutors, defense counsel, and former judges -- can be found at CAAFlog.
A blow-by-blow description of today's hearing can be found at Phil Cave's court-martial trial practice blog here: LTC Lakin’s defense crushed in detail.