Jury deciding case of soldier who deserted Iraqi unit to protest

<p>A military jury convicted a U.S. soldier Friday of desertion for leaving his combat unit in Iraq in protest of the war.</p><p>Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia of the Florida National Guard was found guilty by a jury of four officers and four enlisted soldiers.</p><p>He faces up to a year in jail and a bad conduct discharge when he's sentenced Friday afternoon.</p><p>Mejia said he disobeyed orders to return to his unit because his war experiences prompted him to seek status as a conscientious objector.</p><p>After the verdict was read, Mejia hugged his mother, Maritza Castillo, and she kissed him on the cheek.</p><p>"He feels that he still did the right thing, and he did it under his conscience and his beliefs. His feelings have not changed," Castillo said.</p><p>Military prosecutors argued Mejia, an infantry squad leader, abandoned his troops and didn't fulfill his duty.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/5/168760