Career
Sivits was the man who took some of the photographs at the prison which became notorious after some were first aired on the 60 Minutes II news television show. His father, David Sivits, a former serviceman, claims that Sivits was trained as a mechanic, not a prison guard, and that he "was just doing what he was told to do." Sivits was the first soldier convicted in connection with the Abu Ghraib incidents. On May 5, 2004: Sivits was charged under Uniform Code of Military Justice with the following:
Conspiracy to maltreat detainees
Maltreatment of detainees
Dereliction of duty for negligently failing to protect detainees from abuse, cruelty and maltreatment
His special court-martial was held on May 19, 2004 in Baghdad.
Sivits pled guilty and testified against some of his fellow soldiers.
Sivits"s testimony included reporting seeing Charles Graner punching a naked detainee "with a closed fist so hard in the temple that it knocked the detainee unconscious." Sivits also testified seeing Lynndie England stomping on the feet and hands of detainees with her boots. The court martial sentenced Sivits to the maximum sentence, one year of confinement, in addition to being discharged for bad conduct and demoted from specialist to private.
Human Rights Watch and other human rights groups were not allowed in the court room.