Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks Suspect, Returns To Court

FORT MEADE, Md. -- Attorneys for an Army private accused of engineering the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history won't get to take sworn statements from eight people before his trial.

A military judge ruled during a hearing Friday at Fort Meade that attorneys for Pfc. Bradley Manning won't be allowed to take statements from eight individuals who reviewed information Manning is accused of leaking. Defense attorneys may still be able to interview them later.

Manning allegedly downloaded and sent the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks a vast store of documents and diplomatic cables. Defense lawyers say Manning was a troubled soldier who never should have had access to classified material.

The next hearing in the case will be April 24 through 26. No trial date has been set.

Comments

[pete619]

03:01 PM on 03/21/2012

The governments charges in Manning's case should be dismissed because of gross misconduct. The governments misconduct that got the Daniel Ellsberg's case dismissed pales in comparison to the Bradley Manning case. #1 the president, the commander in chief, publicly stated that Manning was guilty. #2 The United Nations determined that Manning's pretrial treatment was torture. The mere possibility that Manning can get anything even remotely close to a fair trial is now gone. Either we are a free country governed by the rule of law or, we are a lawless authoritarian regime ruled by a power elite, just like China. You can't have it both ways. I realize that many, if not most, of the commenter's on this story lust for Manning's punishment but, I'm not willing to quietly watch my free America be washed down the toilet of revenge without saying something to defend freedom.

[Scott Stahlherzog]

10:32 AM on 04/12/2012

Pete, you and others are completely clueless. Manning is a member of the US Military, and as such he chose to foregoe certain rights and freedoms given to American Civilians. The Uniform Code of Military Justice is what binds his behavior not some ridiculous suggestion by the UN. As someone who was sworn to follow orders and obey superiors Manning was held to a higher standard. Running from conflict is not punishable under any state or federal laws when applied to a civilian. It could be in the military. I am a soldier, and I command other soldiers. If anything Manning released could have led to the injury or death of someone under my command I don't get to use that as an excuse when I meet a parent and accept responsibility of the death of their child. Many of the people who post here can't fathom the depth of Manning's crimes. Your Free America Pete exists because of people who give up some of their freedoms to protect it. That takes much more commitment than posting a poorly educated response on a blog. Our country isn't an authoritarian regime, but our military IS. Manning knew it, and he betrayed it. That's why he should be punished.

[pete619]

01:10 PM on 04/12/2012

Well Scott, thank you for you're service.For your information, I am a disabled(70% combined VA rating) Vietnam veteran. USN. I had a top secret clearance. I'm not the poorly educated, inexperienced commenter that you suppose me to be. I think you missed my point entirely. Here it is. What ever case the government had against Bradley Manning is immaterial now because, they blew their case with their prior bad actions. When the president declared him guilty and when he was tortured (according to United Nations treaty that we are a signature to) they committed government misconduct. If the case against Manning goes forward now it violates the same legal precedent that Ellsberg's case established . Every American is entitled to a fair trial, even Manning. The governments prior bad actions make that impossible. Indecently, I agree with most of what you said but, I also support the rule of law and the UCMJ. However, when you commit the misconduct that the government did, you lose the authority to stand in judgement. That's why Manning's charges should be dropped and he should be released. It's no longer about who he is,or what he did. It's now about who we are and we what we do.

[edejan]

05:02 PM on 04/26/2012

Thank you for your thoughtful post and response to "Scott." F and F. I believe you are essentially correct in your assessment...but I no longer have complete faith that our elites will even consider the common sense facts you have stated.

[Aidan Brewster]

10:34 AM on 03/21/2012

I believe strongly in freedom of information, I believe the government should release a lot of documents to us. That being said, the government also has no obligation to tell us everything.

Manning knew that what he was doing was going to be illegal. This is one of the few situations where I'm not making a big deal about being held too long-- he joined the MILITARY OF THIS COUNTRY, and then used his position to steal information from the country he swore to protect.

I'm not trying to blow the situation here out of proportion. But he knew it was wrong, and what would happen, and he needs to be punished very, very severely. I'm a huge liberal and I still think he should go to jail for a very long time. The defense's argument is "Well he was incompetent and had poor judgement, so why'd you give him access to this?" which I can barely believe is a defense. No one defends drug dealers by saying "Well it's not his fault he dealt cocaine, he was troubled and no one should have let him get near cocaine. The police here are the real criminals." because everyone would look at you like an idiot.

Hit him with the law for doing something not only stupid but possibly dangerous to our country. He deserves it. This isn't some legal grey area, he did something terribly stupid and there are clear laws about the consequences.

[ravatar252]

01:20 AM on 03/18/2012

Order him up some striped sunlight....

[frankmartin]

04:33 PM on 03/17/2012

SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME? DIDN'T IT PFC MANNING?

[Rich Wretch]

08:23 AM on 03/17/2012

This pathetic, disgusting, sashaying, traitorous maggot needs to be tried, convicted and put to death. Let this be a lesson to all of you America Hating and betraying Dummocrat 'gay types'. You sub-humans completely disgust me!

[Sleepers Awake]

11:17 AM on 03/17/2012

...project much?

[Rich Wretch]

07:18 PM on 03/17/2012

Do you use your brain much? Obviously not.

[LaughingTwo]

08:14 AM on 03/17/2012

His defense is that it's "their" fault for putting him in a job that he shouldn't have been in?
Gray bars in his future.

[bampiesdude]

12:26 AM on 03/17/2012

If he is found guilty, is this still considered treason?

[CipherWise]

11:24 AM on 03/17/2012

What I Know Is [WIKI] Treason is defined as betrayal of one's country.

[bampiesdude]

01:02 PM on 03/17/2012

That's what I thought, but will he be tried for that?

[cdiasmd]

03:09 PM on 03/16/2012

Drove by there today on business w/ other Ft. Meade services... not much activity other than a couple cars going into the parking lot checkpoint.

[Rich Wretch]

08:23 AM on 03/17/2012

Expect a rainbow parade any day now.

[cdiasmd]

08:55 AM on 03/17/2012

next court date is in Apr... any activity will have to happen off post.

[Thinkingman New Media]

06:09 PM on 03/20/2012

I hope so, it'll shut all those people up who think that it's OK to imprison someone without trial for two years. That's what the NDAA was for, right? We should have rainbow parades in every town, I'm thinking.