FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - A military panel found a 101st Airborne soldier guilty of three counts of negligent homicide but not guilty of premeditated murder in the deaths of three Iraqi detainees.

Staff Sgt. Ray Girouard, 24, smiled as he hugged his defense lawyer and family members after the verdict was read. He faced up to life in prison had he been found guilty of premeditated murder.

Two of his subordinates plead guilty to murder charges, and were sentenced to 18 years each. SSG Girouard was accused of telling his subordinates to set the detainees free and then shoot them. His defense apparently was that he didn't tell anyone to shoot anyone, but after it happened, he tried to cover it up to protect his soldiers.

The prosecution can't be too unhappy - Girouard could face up to 21 years if he gets max consecutive sentences. Without having heard all the evidence, I can't tell you what I would recommend as a panel member, but I do know my rule of thumb for things like this. In determining guilt or innocence, the whole burden rests on the prosecution. But if the prosecution wins their case - then my mental sentence model is at the max, and the Defense has the whole burden of proving why it should be one smidge less.