In her own words

Barbara Allen reports from the murder court-martial Editor’s note: Barbara Allen, the widow of 1st Lt. Louis Allen, is in Fort Bragg, N.C., to attend the military trial of the man charged with killing her husband during his service in Iraq. She wrote the article below, the first of a series reporting on the trial as it unfolds. Lt. Allen, a Chester, N.Y. native, lived in Milford, and was a science teacher at George F. Baker High School in Tuxedo, N.Y. By Barbara Allen In May, The Pike County Courier graciously printed an article I wrote about the 2005 murder of my husband, Lt. Louis Allen, and his friend Captain Phillip Esposito, while deployed in Iraq. Also in the article I described some of the legal/personal issues our families face in the course of prosecuting Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez, who stands accused of these murders and I truly believe is guilty as charged. The response I received from the article amazed me. People I have lost touch with called to offer support. Strangers reached out to let me know my husband’s sacrifice — my family’s sacrifice — has not been forgotten. As anyone who struggles with the death of a person they love can tell you, it is comforting to know that person is not forgotten. So for me, knowing Lou is thought about and remembered by others is of comfort. As the long- awaited court-martial is set to begin, the people at The Pike County Courier have again agreed to run an update. As of this writing we have made it through two weeks of voir dire, or jury selection. In the military a jury is called a panel, and member selection is not done the same as in the civilian world. Focusing on the military method, I’ll highlight the process to date. Day one brought the first group of potential members. Twenty soldiers filed in wearing Class A uniforms and swore an oath. Prior to appearing in court each member filled out a questionnaire designed to elicit details of professional and personal experiences as well as any views on the death penalty. Then each side — government trial team and defense counsel — has a turn to question the entire panel. This produces further insight into each member’s ability to remain unbiased and impartial throughout the proceedings. After each side has had a shot at general voir dire the members are excused and return for individual voir dire with the government and then the defense teams. Finally upon completion of individual voir dire is the challenge phase. Each side presents arguments to excuse select members. These arguments are founded on the team’s determination of that member’s inclination to return a verdict based on the evidence presented in court. After counsel argue for or against member inclusion, the military judge (MJ) renders his decision. The process is long and exhausting for members, counsel, and all present. We have so far sat through five panels and as of this writing we have a full panel of 14 members chosen to sit for this trial. Opening statements are scheduled for the morning of Oct. 22. The trial we have spent over three years chasing is finally here. Tomorrow, 14 members will be in the panel chairs. Among the assortment of enlisted and officer members we have an even split of men and women. Included on the panel are two majors who are husband and wife. Throughout the course of voir dire there were almost comical moments, such as defense referring to a member as a character from the movie “Dr. Strangelove” and crying to the judge that the member (a colonel) glared at him — even noted the time of the glare as 9:48 — until he (defense counsel) had to look away. There have been somber moments, such as members speaking of witnessing soldiers killed in action or of personal tragedies in their own families. And there have been times I simply wanted to stand up and scream as defense continues to insult our families and remind the members we are insignificant and should not be considered in this trial. Our families paid close attention to the proceedings. We have formed our own opinions of how the process was conducted and how we feel each member is approaching this case. While it would be inappropriate for me to comment on those matters at the moment, I can comment on this: Sitting in that courtroom for two and a half weeks and listening to these soldiers speak of their experiences has been a humbling experience for me. While I am sitting in North Carolina wishing I didn’t have to be so far from my children, these soldiers speak of facing death in combat zones halfway across the world. I can pick up the phone and speak with my kids. I can even buckle up and spend 10 hours on I-95 to get back to them. But these men and women who sat before us faced far greater separations in unimaginable settings. At this moment thousands of other men and women are facing those settings. They do so for their families and for ours. Some will make it home, and others, like my husband and like Phillip Esposito, will not. But all of those who serve with honor are heroes, and my thanks goes out to them. Would you like to comment on this story? Log on to www.pikecountycourier.com..