Naval Officers Sues Seeking Conscientious Objector Status

Last week, the ACLU announced that it had filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of a naval officer on active duty at Groton naval base, challenging the Navy's refusal to discharge him as a conscientious objector.  In Izbicki v. Mabus, (D CT, filed 11/3/2010), (full text of petition), Ensign Michael Izbicki alleged that after he graduated the Naval Academy, his Christian beliefs developed and he ultimately concluded that he could not take someone's life or aid others in doing so. The petition cites a long list of erroneous assertions made by the Navy in rejecting Izbick's two applications for CO status. [Thanks to God and Country blog for the lead.]