Gallagher says he was wrongly accused and that fellow SEAL team members testifying against him, several under grants of immunity, are disgruntled subordinates who fabricated allegations to force him from command. If convicted of all charges, including murder, attempted murder and obstructing justice, he could face life in prison. Jury selection is set to begin June 10 in the court-martial accusing Gallagher of fatally stabbing a helpless, wounded Islamic State fighter in his custody and of shooting two unarmed civilians, a schoolgirl and an elderly man. One of Gallagher’s civilian defense attorneys, Marc Mukasey, also serves as a personal lawyer for Trump. officials as saying Gallagher’s is one of the cases under review. Trump has said he is considering pardons for a number of service members accused of war crimes, and media reports have cited U.S. President Trump, who ordered less-restrictive confinement while he awaited trial “in honor of his past service to our country.” He was transferred there from a military brig at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California at the direction of U.S. Gallagher, 39, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, had been restricted to base at the Naval Medical Center San Diego since late March. The proceedings at Naval Base San Diego were set to resume on Friday.

Gallagher, dressed in his Navy summer whites uniform, hugged his wife in tears as spectators gasped. Instead, to the apparent surprise of everyone present, the judge said he was ordering Gallagher’s release as a “remedy for interference from the prosecution.”

The judge, Captain Aaron Rugh, adjourned the hearing for the day without ruling on those requests.

Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, speaks with reporters at a pretrial hearing for Gallagher's court martial for alleged war crimes in Iraq, in San Diego, May 22, 2019. Defense attorney Timothy Parlatore, representing U.S.

Navy seal being tried for war crimes