The judge in the case of accused WikiLeaker PFC Bradley Manning has
denied a defense motion to dismiss the charge of aiding the enemy, the
most serious charge Manning will face during his court martial.On
the third and final day of pre-trial hearings in Manning’s case,
presiding judge Col. Denise Lind on Thursday denied two other defense
motions. They included an assertion that prosecutors unreasonably
multiplied charges against Manning, and a motion to dismiss a charge
dealing with publishing information on the Internet knowing the enemy
has access to the Web.Manning’s civilian defense counsel, David Coombs, argued on Wednesday that the charge of aiding the enemy was too vague.
Outlining
specific instructions in her decision to deny the motion, Lind told the
government that it must prove Manning knew that by putting information
on the WikiLeaks site the enemy would access it.If, at the end
of the trial, currently set for late September, the government does not
prove Manning had that knowledge, the defense can then submit another
motion to dismiss the charge.Manning faces 22 charges, including
aiding the enemy, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on
the Internet knowing that it is accessible to the enemy, theft of public
property or records, and transmitting defense information.During
Wednesday’s hearing, Coombs criticized the government for allegedly
piling “on offenses to increase the sentence.” He requested four
charges be dismissed because the specifications were unreasonable and a
duplication of other charges against Manning.Lind denied that
motion during Thursday’s hearing at Ft. Meade, Md., based on the fact
that given the amount of information involved it was not an unreasonable
duplication.“The number of charges does not misrepresent or exaggerate the accused theft of government property,” Lind said.
Although
Lind denied the motion submitted by the defense, she said it can
readdress the motion again at sentencing, if it is relevant.The
judge also disagreed with the defense’s argument that the charge Manning
faces for “wrongfully and wantonly caus[ing] [information] to be
published on the Internet” knowing it would be accessed by the enemy is
redundant, saying it is not preempted by the charge of “aiding the
enemy.” She said that the alleged crimes were distinct and separate
criminal acts.
It’s just like a weasel, immoral gay activist and traitor like Bradley Manning to attempt to get out of committing one of the most egregious acts in U.S. history. What an ass.
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