Military Judge Makes Key Decision in Bowe Bergdahl Case
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will have to wait until February to learn the outcome of his court-martial proceedings.
Emery Delesio of the Associated Press wrote, “A military judge decided Tuesday to delay Bergdahl’s trial from August until February to provide time for resolving disputes over the defense team’s access to classified documents.”
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl returning to court ahead of a court-martial on charges including desertion in Afghanistan. https://t.co/G6kl0dzAaZ
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 17, 2016
CNN reported earlier this month that Bergdahl’s defense team had been denied access to nearly 300,000 classified documents and had only received 1 percent of the documents requested. The defense claims it needs the documents in order to prepare a proper defense of their client.
Bergdahl walked away from his post in 2009 and spent five years as a prisoner of the Taliban. Several members of Bergdahl’s company were killed in an effort to locate the soldier.
Later, the Obama administration was accused of breaking the law when it traded five GITMO detainees for Bergdahl in a highly controversial prisoner swap.
The Obama administration celebrated Bergdahl’s homecoming and he appeared to be hailed as a hero. As Western Journalism reported, several fellow soldiers broke their silence and told their side of the story, which painted Bergdahl as less of a hero and more as a traitor. The Army agreed and decided to court-martial Bergdahl on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
Bergdahl is on administrative duty while awaiting his court-martial proceedings, now set to take place next year. According to Sgt. Maj. Matt Howard, Bergdahl is doing “a lot of administrative work that needs to be done. Paperwork, moving stuff from place to place, things like that.” His safety is also being closely guarded as threats against his life are being taken seriously.
The judge in the case, Col. Jeffrey Nance, also granted the right of media organizations to hire a court stenographer to record the proceedings and told the prosecuting attorney they have one week to give reporters access to court documents.
Bergdahl's trial is being delayed until 2017. Apparently court-martials for Rose Garden honorees in an election year aren't very popular.
— Josh Earnst (@NotJoshEarnest) May 17, 2016
The implications of Bergdahl’s court-martial being delayed means either Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump will presumably be the commander-in-chief at the time of his court-martial proceedings. The date change also, as a result, allows President Obama to exit office without any further discussions of Bergdahl’s controversial prisoner exchange, treatment he received after his release, and subsequent military decision to pursue court-martial. (For more from the author of “Military Judge Makes Key Decision in Bowe Bergdahl Case” please click HERE)
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