Veterans Suicide Plea Has Him In Legal Trouble.

Came across this article today and after reading it I am just outraged. The government only needs to look at cases like this to see what they are doing to us veterans. It is just plain out pathetic.

www.washingtonpost.com...

At the lowest moment of his life, Sean Duvall pulled out his cellphone just past midnight and called the suicide hotline. He was carrying a final note to his family, a letter confirming his eligibility to be buried in the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery and a homemade gun fashioned from a pipe.

Veterans groups and mental health advocates warn that Duvall’s prosecution could have a chilling effect on distressed veterans who might be contemplating suicide.

“Every veteran I’ve talked to is outraged,” said Dan Karnes, president of the Roanoke Valley Veterans Council. “When we have veterans that are coming back from wars now, they’ll think twice about seeking help when they see what was done to him.”

It just makes me sick that veterans are being treated this way. I would love to hear others thoughts on this issue.

reply to post by usmc0311


Duvall, who served in the Navy and lives outside Roanoke, now faces four federal counts related to manufacturing and possessing the homemade gun, which could lead to a 40-year prison sentence.

Yes that is sad and disgusting!great helping hand they are giving this man. push a little more and he will be dead, maybe they like it that way cheaper no veterans services.

reply to post by usmc0311


I think all charges against him should be dropped. I think the justice system should have compassion on this man. He has suffered enough. Now that he is doing better....in therapy...has a good job and a place to live...I think they should just let him be and at most give to him some community service to do if they deem some punishment is necessary.

Had a strange feeling this guy is a Gulf War Vet, and guess what?

Soon a police officer arrived and took the 45-year-old homeless Gulf War veteran to a psychiatric facility, where he was treated for depression and began feeling better about his life and prospects.

www.washingtonpost.com...

As a GW Vet myself I have a good idea of what he's going through. He could have Gulf War Illness, depression is a very common symptom, and not even know it. Suicide rates are high for GW vets. Hopefully he will get a good attorney who can have that taken into consideration.

www.va.gov...

It would be ridiculous to convict him, nothing but a draconian application of the law.

reply to post by Char-Lee


It almost seems that way doesn't it? I deffinitely have been hung out to dry by the government and there are many more out there. Suicides now outpace combat deaths. Very sad.

Originally posted by caladonea
reply to post by usmc0311

 

I think all charges against him should be dropped. I think the justice system should have compassion on this man. He has suffered enough. Now that he is doing better....in therapy...has a good job and a place to live...I think they should just let him be and at most give to him some community service to do if they deem some punishment is necessary.

I agree, charging thrse guys with a crime is just hideous. These guy's and gal's need help, and these types of incidents make a hard decision even harder now. Thanks for your thoughts.

reply to post by ANOK


Have you seen the newer list that was put out by the VA. It classifies what diseases are associated with the first gulf war and the current one as well. Here is the link.

www.publichealth.va.gov...

■Malaria
An infectious disease caused by a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. Symptoms include chills, fever, and sweats. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation or at a time when standard or accepted treatises indicate that the incubation period began during a qualifying period of military service.
■Brucellosis
A bacterial disease with symptoms such as profuse sweating and joint and muscle pain. The illness may be chronic and persist for years. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation.
■Campylobacter Jejuni
A disease with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation.
■Coxiella Burnetii (Q Fever)
A bacterial disease with symptoms such as fever, severe headache, and gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and diarrhea. In chronic cases, the illness may cause inflammation of the heart. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of the date of military separation.
■Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
An illness that primarily affects the lungs and causes symptoms such as chest pain, persistent cough (sometimes bloody), weight loss and fever.
■Nontyphoid Salmonella
A condition characterized by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of the date of military separation.
■Shigella
A condition characterized by symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of the date of military separation.
■Visceral Leishmaniasis
A parasitic disease characterized by symptoms such as fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anemia. The condition may be fatal if left untreated.
■West Nile Virus
A disease spread by mosquitoes characterized by symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain or weakness, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms may range from mild to severe. It must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year from the date of military separation.

Maybe they are using these charges to try to force the government to help him... IE court ordered psychiatric help...

Where I work, when doctors or hospital staff are assaulted by psych or suicidal patients who are voluntarily being followed but refuse further treatment, they press charges so that the prosecution can ensure that the judge orders mandatory treatment to help the people get the help they need. They usually don't ask for jail time unless it's VERY serious, usually they ask for a period in hospital and then a renewable out patient treatment order...

It's one way of ensuring that these people get the help they need so that it saves their lives...

reply to post by usmc0311


Yeah that's new to me. I've never had an infectious disease, that I know of lol. It seems like they are now including all medical conditions from the Gulf War as GW illness. Many symptoms, many causes. I guess it makes it easier for the gov to confuse people as to the wrongs they did, like using us as guinea pigs for untested vaccines?

reply to post by ANOK


If you have time check out this interview. It is recent and has alot of good information.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

From the article linked in the OP the prosecutor says..

He acknowledged that Duvall is, in many ways, a sympathetic figure, but he said in court papers that, “as much as we, as a society, appreciate the efforts and sacrifices made by war veterans such as Duvall, their status as veterans does not make them above the law. The law must be applied with equal force to all in this country, and Duvall must face the pending charges, just as anybody else would.”

To which I say.. "Oh horse hooey - that is the biggest load of nonsense I've ever heard!"

Every prosecutor, just like every cop has some level of discretion. For example, if a guy jaywalks to pull a kid out of the path of a car most cops won't charge him for jaywalking. If a cop does charge most prosecutors won't prosecute it. That's discretion. He is saying he doesn't have any - and that isn't true.

reply to post by Magnum007


Many veterans are on the GI bill (that turned out to be far far far less than how it was sold) are scraping by to go to school and don't have health insurance. My own son who served the Navy before going to college is now to old to be covered by parents on our insurance.

Veterans of my son's age DO NOT get VA services unless it is followup from a specific and documented injury they sustained while serving. They are not covered by VA for the depression that can happen once veteran's return to being reserves or enter civilian life.

They are not covered by insurance like they provided coverage for our country.

In this case the law clearly is an ass....

Originally posted by Char-Lee
reply to post by usmc0311

 

Duvall, who served in the Navy and lives outside Roanoke, now faces four federal counts related to manufacturing and possessing the homemade gun, which could lead to a 40-year prison sentence.

Yes that is sad and disgusting!great helping hand they are giving this man. push a little more and he will be dead, maybe they like it that way cheaper no veterans services.

i am a hobby gun smith and i never heard of these federal laws against building home made guns.
yes there are laws against homemade machine guns but not single shot guns.
Short barreled shot guns are also banned.

but they don't list these as what he had.

I hate it when the media does not tell you what was the problem and makes it sound like building any home made gun is illegal..

These may be bogus gun laws just to hold the veteran in jail as long as possible

I have seen the fed do that before.
I have seen the feds hold someone on illegal explosives charges because they had part of a can of black powder. but the person also had two black powder rifles.

The feds were just using the illegal explosives charges to jack up the persons bail to over $100,000