The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
Earlier this year, as anti-Obama fever swept the nation, U.S. Army lieutenant colonel Terrence Lakin refused to report to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for deployment to Afghanistan on the grounds that he questioned the authenticity of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and, therefore, Obama’s legitimacy as commander-in-chief. But on Tuesday, Lakin, a doctor from Greeley, sang a different tune, pleading guilty to disobeying orders to report to duty, one of two charges he faced (via The Associated Press). He disputes a second charge of missing a flight in his court-martial proceeding and is challenging that claim.
Lakin, who has served in the Army for 17 years, could face up to 18 months in prison and dismissal from the military when he is sentenced at a later date. His brothers and parents accompanied him in court, along with other supporters who “audibly scoffed” when one potential juror said he believed Hawaiian officials who say they have evidence that Obama was born in Hawaii and is eligible to be president. Lakin told the court he should not have refused to meet with superiors while protesting, explaining, “I had asked every question, done everything else I could, short of disobeying orders, without success” (via Stars and Stripes). Still, the guilty plea won’t stop Lakin from continuing to challenge the authenticity of Obama’s birth certificate.
That's only $1 per issue!