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Fifth Column
Military Judge Gives Bowe Bergdahl A Lot Of Bad News
2017-07-09
[RedState] Last week, the military judge overseeing the trial rendered two adverse decisions. First, he decided that Bergdahl will stand trial on all charges. Most damaging, though, was his decision that if Bergdahl is convicted that the jury would be allowed to hear about the injuries suffered by an Navy SEAL and an Army NCO while specifically searching for Bergdahl.

Serious wounds to a soldier and a Navy SEAL who searched for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl can be used at the sentencing phase of his upcoming trial, a judge ruled Friday, giving prosecutors significant leverage to pursue stiff punishment against the soldier.

The judge, Col. Jeffery Nance, ruled that the service members wouldn’t have wound up in the firefights that left them wounded if they hadn’t been searching for Bergdahl, so their injuries would be relevant to his sentencing if he’s convicted of misbehavior before the enemy at trial in October.

I suspect we are heading for a guilty plea and Bergdahl taking his chances with a military judge. Any court-martial panel Bergdahl draws will be composed of officers with combat tours. Bergdahl can demand that a third of his jury be composed of noncommissioned officers senior in rank to him‐but he’d have to have a profoundly incompetent defense team for them to think that senior NCOs are going to be very sympathetic to his case.
Posted by:Anomalous Sources

#13  I don't know Pappy, the "Liar of Benghazi" doesn't seem to need any help in the lying-thru-her-teeth department.

Perhaps. I'm more inclined to think that, since the Oval Office was facing scrutiny over this debacle, they would lend help to someone who might have problems with the lie, no matter how accomplished a liar.
Posted by: Pappy   2017-07-09 17:08  

#12  or at trial the defense could call Susan Rice who said, back in 2014, that Berghahl served with honor and distinction

Susan Rice is a high dollar sportin' lady. I doubt if they could afford her.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2017-07-09 14:53  

#11  @#10: Melanin = Teflon
Posted by: Anomalous Sources   2017-07-09 13:31  

#10  The bastard that should be on trial is the SOB who authorized Bergdaul's release and the repatriation of 5 key Taliban terrorists.
Posted by: Besoeker   2017-07-09 12:54  

#9  As I've said many times, I would cheerfully be called out of retirement to sit on Bergdahl's court martial.

Of course, the defense would probably object to my attitude of giving the guilty SOB a fair trial before we hang him.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2017-07-09 12:48  

#8  I don't know Pappy, the "Liar of Benghazi" doesn't seem to need any help in the lying-thru-her-teeth department.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2017-07-09 12:40  

#7  Probably something the WH staff wrote up for her, Frank. I'd go with Ben Rhodes.
Posted by: Pappy   2017-07-09 12:39  

#6  could call Susan Rice who said, back in 2014, that Berghahl served with honor and distinction

as if she knew what those words even mean
Posted by: Frank G   2017-07-09 09:57  

#5  Either way, he should just drown himself in the prison toilet and save everyone a lot of time and money.
Posted by: DarthVader   2017-07-09 09:19  

#4   a Purple Heart still gets people's attention)

Maybe true MK, but after JFnK probably not as much.
Posted by: AlanC   2017-07-09 08:29  

#3  Any court-martial panel Bergdahl draws will be composed of officers with combat tours.

No. Bergdahl is an enlisted and entitled to request part of the board to be composed of enlisted personnel. Been on one of those boards. Not recommended, but his right under the UCMJ.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2017-07-09 08:04  

#2  or at trial the defense could call Susan Rice who said, back in 2014, that Berghahl served with honor and distinction

that would be interesting
Posted by: lord garth   2017-07-09 07:40  

#1  ...It says something about Bergdahl and his defense team that they're apparently going to stick to their story and try to fight it out. Now that COL Nance has ruled that at least two men were wounded looking for him (and a Purple Heart still gets people's attention) the smartest thing he can do is just say the hell with it and plead guilty. He's going down and going down very, very hard.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2017-07-09 05:56  

00:00