Camilo Mejia convicted of desertion

Mejia -- from the Florida National Guard -- faces up to a year in jail and a bad conduct discharge. He's set to be sentenced this afternoon.

Prosecutors argued that as an infantry squad leader, Mejia abandoned his troops and didn't fulfil his duty.

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From the witness stand he said that seeing the violent deaths of children and other innocents -- as well as other events -- caused him to become a conscientious objector.

But the judge, Army Col. Gary Smith, saying Wednesday that he would not let the trial become a forum on the war, had disallowed testimony about those other events: allegations that U.S. soldiers mistreated Iraqi prisoners and detainees.

Mejia's fate is expected to be handed to the jury today. He faces up to a year in a military prison if he is convicted.

Under Army regulations, Mejia said, he thought he was entitled to leave the Army when he did. As a dual citizen of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, he said, he was covered by a Florida National Guard policy that says no alien can serve more than eight years without applying for U.S. citizenship. Mejia's time ran out in May 2003. He hadn't applied for citizenship.

''I thought I had a good argument, because I thought I had not committed a crime,'' Mejia told the jury.

But why not argue his position from within the Army rather than walk away, Mejia was asked.

''I did not feel that the [Army] would be fair,'' Mejia said. ``I thought, sadly, that I would have to look outside the military for my rights to be upheld.''

Mejia said he decided to become a conscientious objector after talking with family, friends and a religious advisor.

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