Charges dropped against Marine imprisoned for 113 days after refusing Covid shot

Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 9, 2023

The Marine Corps has withdrawn all charges against Lance Cpl. Catherine Arnett, who has faced a mountain of legal issues since she refused to take the Covid injection, a report said.

Lance Cpl. Catherine Arnett

“The blog TRMLX tweeted on Monday (see below) what appears to be a redacted copy of a June 5 letter from the commander of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing to Arnett’s trial counsel announcing that the convening authority in Arnett’s case had decided to dismiss all charges against her without prejudice, meaning the charges could eventually be refiled,” Task & Purpose reported on Tuesday.

Arnett was released on May 15. She had spent 113 days in pretrial confinement.

Arnett had faced charges of failing to attend an appointed place of duty and going from an appointed place of duty; missing movement; breach of restriction; willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer; and disrespect toward a noncommissioned officer, according to a copy of her charge sheet obtained by Task & Purpose.

Arnett is expected to be administratively discharged from the Marine Corps with a recommendation for a general discharge under honorable conditions, according to Maj. Rob Martins, a spokesman for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing,

Since Arnett refused the shot, seeking a religious exemption, the Marine Corps attempted to court-martial her twice only to drop all charges before trial. The Marines have tried to administratively separate her three times, the report said.

Arnett’s case was put on hold after a federal judge ruled in August 2022 that the Marine Corps could not separate Marines who had requested religious exemptions to the Defense Department’s mandatory Covid vaccine policy. That policy was rescinded in February of this year.

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