Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich will appear in court next week as a four-star general prepares to testify Monday before a military judge in Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Gen. James Mattis is expected to appear to address a motion by the defense that would dismiss charges against Wuterich, a Meriden native who was one of eight charged with murder or failure to report killings in a November 25 incident in Haditha, Iraq in which 24 Iraqis were killed.

Wuterich is facing a reduced set of charges that include manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endanger-ment, dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice in the case but has asked that the charges be dismissed.

He is the last remaining soldier facing charges in the case. Six others had charges against them thrown out and the last was acquitted.

The defense is arguing Mattis was improperly influenced by a military lawyer, Col. John Ewers, who investi-gated the killings and later became a top aide when the general was deciding who should be charged.