. NMT03-T0027
Volume III · Page 27
Extracts from the official transcript of Military Tribunal III in the matter of the United States of America vs. Josef Altstoetter, et al., defendants, sitting at Nuernberg, Germany, on 17 February 1947, 0930, Justice Carrington T. Marshall, presiding.¹
THE MARSHAL: Persons in the courtroom will please find their seats.
The Honorable, the Judges of Military Tribunal III.
Military Tribunal III is now in session. God save the United States of America and this Honorable Tribunal. There will be order in the courtroom.
PRESIDING JUDGE MARSHALL: The Tribunal will now proceed with the arraignment of the defendants in Case 3 pending before this Tribunal. The Secretary General will call the names of the defendants.
THE SECRETARY GENERAL: Josef Altstoetter, Wilhelm von Ammon, Paul Barnickel, Hermann Cuhorst, Karl Engert, Guenther Joel, Herbert Klemm, Ernst Lautz, Wolfgang Mettgenberg, Guenther Nebelung, Rudolf Oeschey, Hans Petersen, Oswald Rothaug, Curt Rothenberger, Franz Schlegelberger.
MR. LaFOLLETTE: May it please your Honor, all the defendants are present. I wish to advise the members of this Tribunal that subsequent to the filing of the indictment in this case the defendant therein named Carl Westphal died, and he died while in the custody of the Marshal which may be confirmed by the Tribunal.²
PRESIDING JUDGE MARSHALL: It will be so entered in the record. Counsel for the prosecution will proceed with the arraignments of the defendants.
[Here Mr. LaFollette read the indictment. See pp. 15-26.]
PRESIDING JUDGE MARSHALL: The microphone will now be placed in front of the defendant Josef Altstoetter.
I shall now call upon all defendants to plead guilty or not guilty to the charges against them. Each defendant, as his name is called, will stand and speak clearly into the microphone.
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¹ This caption with the necessary factual changes, appeared at the top of the first page of the transcript for each day of the proceedings. Hereinafter it will be omitted from all extracts from the transcript.
² The defendant Westphal committed suicide in the Nuernberg prison adjacent to the Palace where the trials were held.
