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Court enters not guilty plea for Pemberton in Laude murder case


(Updated 10:42 a.m.) The Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 on Monday entered a not guilty plea for US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton after the murder suspect refused to enter any plea in connection with the killing of Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude.
 
Pemberton arrived at the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court about 4:30 a.m. to attend his scheduled 9 a.m. arraignment, a report on GMA News TV's News To Go said.

The US Marine was escorted by American officials, the same report added. 

Pemberton left the Olongapo Hall of Justice shortly after his arraignment and headed back to his detention facility inside Camp Aguinaldo.

After the arraignment, marking of evidence ensued, Laude's legal counsel Virgie Suarez said.
 
The US Marine was in handcuffs all throughout the proceedings, except when he signed some documents, Suarez added.  

Pre-trial
 
The pre-trial will start on Friday, Feb. 27, said lawyer  Harry Roque, another legal counsel for the Laude family.
 
"Importante ito kasi hudyat ito na nagsimula na ang pormal na proseso sa hukuman," he said.
 
The witnesses should be identified during the pre-trial. 
 
Suarez said Pemberton may not be present on Friday since he gave a special power of attorney to his legal counsels to represent him. 
 
The murder case's marathon trial will start on the third week of March (March 16) every Monday and Tuesday. 

Under the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the US, the local courts have one year to complete judicial proceedings against a US soldier. After that period, he/she shall be relieved of any obligation. 

Intimidating
 
Suarez described the arraignment proceeding as "intimidating" due to the number of US Naval Criminal investigative Service personnel who were escorting Pemberton.
 
"The situation inside was very intimidating because the media were never allowed and yet, may 16 Americans were inside the room," she said.
 
For her part, the victim's sister, Marilou Laude, said: "Sila [NCIS] na ang nakapuno sa court room."
 
"Ang lakas ng loob niya patayin ang kapatid ko tapos doon nauutal na siya, sila pa ang binibigyan ng panig samantalang kami wala kaming kasama doon," she added. 
 
"Finally matutuloy na ang paglilitis. Finally makukuha na namin ang justice para sa kapatid namin," she said. 
 
 
The 19-year-old's murder case was lodged before the sala of Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde, who was earlier asked to inhibit from the case as she was a classmate of Pemberton's counsel, lawyer Rowena Flores, at the San Beda College Law School.
 
However, the judge refused to recuse herself from the case. 
 
The 27-year-old Laude was found dead in a motel bathroom in Olongapo City on the night of October 11 last year. 
 
Pemberton was the last person seen with victim, according to witnesses. — RSJ/KG, GMA News
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