SAN ANTONIO — Pfc. Lynndie England, the Army reservist shown in some of the most notorious photos in the Abu Ghraib (search) prison scandal, will plead guilty to abusing Iraqi detainees in a case that sparked global outrage against the United States and its military.Smarter move than what your lawyers were originally proposing, Snooks. England, 22, faces a maximum sentence of 11 years in prison as part of the plea deal, which still must be accepted by a military judge, her attorney, Rick Hernandez (search), said Friday. She had been facing up to 16 years.The plea deal came four days before England was scheduled to go on trial in a military court in Fort Hood.
"This is in her best interests," Hernandez said.
No sh*t, Attorney Sherlock.
England was one of seven members of the Maryland-based 372nd Military Police Company charged with humiliating and assaulting Iraqi detainees at the prison near Baghdad. She became a focal point of the scandal after photos of her surfaced, including one that showed her smiling and posing with nude prisoners stacked in a pyramid. In another picture, she is smiling and pointing at a naked detainee's genitals while a cigarette dangles from the corner of her mouth.
Yeah, we know, we KNOW AWREADY!!!!!
England will plead guilty Monday to seven of the nine counts against her: two counts of conspiracy, four counts of maltreating prisoners and one count of dereliction of duty, Hernandez said. The other charges — committing indecent acts and failure to obey a lawful order — will be dropped, he said.
Top military officials first became aware of the Abu Ghraib abuses in January 2004. The scandal after the pictures became public tarnished the military's image in Arab countries and worldwide and sparked investigations of detainee abuses.
England's lawyers have argued that she and others in her unit were acting on orders from military intelligence to "soften up" prisoners for interrogations. But Army investigators testified during hearings last summer that England said the reservists took the photos while "they were joking around, having some fun."
Not that they were ever able to identify/produce any of the guys who gave the 'orders'.
A panel of soldiers will determine England's punishment. Hernandez said the defense will present evidence that England has severe learning disabilities and mental health problems.
Brief pause while all present and former military Rantburgers laugh hysterically.
He also said the defense plans to call Pvt. Charles Graner Jr., a former Abu Ghraib guard and the reputed ringleader of the abuses, as a defense witness during the sentencing hearing. Graner, said to be England's ex-boyfriend and father of her infant son, was convicted in January on a range of abuse charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Hernandez said Graner would be called to show "the type of personality that he is and what information he gave her that led her to believe that what she was doing was correct."
In other words, if Private Boyfriend said it was okay, you could do it? Man, there's gotta be a few hundred thousand present and former GIs who would happily strangle her for that piece of idiocy.
The lawyer said it had not been decided whether England will take the stand.
Not if they know what's good for her.
In Fort Bragg (search), N.C., England was initially charged with 19 counts of abuse and indecent acts that carried a combined maximum sentence of 38 years in prison. Prosecutors filed a new, reduced set of charges in February after the case was moved to Fort Hood.
Notice that this comes just a day after Sgt Mooselimb was sentenced to the Long Walk for HIS stupidity. I know Pvt Sweetums couldn't have gotten the needle, but you know her lawyers had to be thinking that this was NOT a good time to challenge a court-martial jury.
Mike
