Bradley Manning before being imprisoned without trial
PFC Bradley Manning has been in jail awaiting trial for nearly 1,000 days for exposing war crimes, corruption, and widespread abuse. When he returns to court in Fort Meade, MD, for a pretrial hearing from February 26 to March 1, Judge Denise Lind will rule on the defense’s motion to dismiss charges for lack of a speedy trial.
As defense lawyer David Coombs said in the motion, “PFC Manning’s statutory and constitutional speedy trial rights have been trampled upon with impunity.”
In court, he laid out the ways in which the government has made an “absolute mockery” of Manning’s right to a speedy trial by violating the 5th and 6th Constitutional Amendments, Rule for Court Martial 707, and Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 10.
Prosecutors were supposed to arraign Manning within 120 days but took well over 600. They’re also supposed to remain actively diligent throughout the proceedings, but Coombs has showed substantial periods of their inactivity and needless delay.
Manning’s due process rights have been clearly violated, and the only legal remedy is to dismiss charges. Judge Lind could dismiss charges with prejudice, if she determines the government intentionally delayed Manning’s trial, which would set the young Army private free.
She could also dismiss without prejudice, which would allow the government to simply retry the case and restart the speedy trial clock. If she dismisses the motion altogether, she will condone the government’s unconstitutional delays and the deprivation of Manning’s due process rights.
Manning would then proceed to trial, currently scheduled to start June 3, 2013 — over three years after his arrest in May 2010.
We’ll also hear Manning’s updated plea offer, in which he’s expected to offer to plead guilty to several lesser-included offenses, which could carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.
“This allows Bradley to accept responsibility for exposing these documents to public scrutiny, and debate the merits and impact of these releases, while fighting the most serious charges against him at court martial,” noted Jeff Paterson, project director of the Bradley Manning Support Network.
The government can still charge as planned, including using the Espionage Act and UCMJ Article 104, alleging Manning indirectly “aided the enemy” simply because he knew Al Qaeda could access WikiLeaks. By the time that pretrial hearing begins, Manning will have been in jail for over 1,000 days.
In response to this historic abuse, supporters around the country and around the world are planning demonstrations, rallies, and marches on February 23. From California, to Florida, to Italy, to Germany, supporters of PFC Manning will make their protests known.
By Nathan Fuller, Bradley Manning Support Network. February 15, 2013.
U.S. Events
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Tucson, AZ Feb 23, 11am-5pmTempe, AZ Feb 23, 5:30-6:30pmGuerneville, CA Feb 23, 12-1pm
Cahuenga (L.A.), CA Feb 23, 9-11am Los Angeles, CA Feb 23, 5:30-6:30 Long Beach (L.A.), CA Montrose (L.A.), CA Feb 23, 5:30-7pm Studio City (L.A.), CA Feb 22, 6:30-7:30pm San Francisco, CA Feb 23, 1-4pm San Diego, CA Feb 23, 7-9pm Denver, CO Feb 23, 12-3:30pm Washington, DC (march) Feb 23, 12pm Washington, DC (concert & teach-in) Feb 24, 6:30-9pm Daytona, FL Feb 24, 11am-2pm Ft. Lauderdale, FL Feb 23, 12-1:30pm Pensacola, FL Feb 23, 5:30-6:30pm St. Petersburg, FL Feb 23, 7pm Tallahassee, FL Feb 23, 12-1pm Hilo, HI Feb 22, 3:30-5pm Honolulu, HI Feb 22, 4-5:30pm Chicago, IL Feb 23, 12-1:30pm Ft. Leavenworth, KS Feb 23, 1-3pm |
New Orleans, LA Feb 23, 2-6pmBoston, MA Feb 23, 1-2pmAugusta, ME Feb 23, 11:30am-12pm
Portland, ME Feb 23, 12pm Detroit, MI Feb 23, 3-8pm Kalamazoo, MI Feb 23, 2-3pm Minneapolis, MN Feb 23, 9:30am-12pm Wilmington, NC Feb 23, 12-1:45pm Eatentown, NJ Feb 23, 12-1:30pm Highland Park, NJ Feb 23, 11:30am-12:30pm Albuquerque, NM Feb 23, 10am-12pm Santa Fe, NM Feb 23, 12-1pm New York, NY Feb 23, 2-4pm Rochester, NY Feb 23, 10am-12pm Toledo, OH Feb 23, 12pm Corvallis, OR ongoing Philadelphia, PA Feb 23, 2-4pm Newport, RI Feb 23, 1-2pm Austin, TX Feb 23, 10:30am Houston, TX Feb 23, All Day Norfolk, VA Feb 23, 1-4pm Bristol, VT Feb 23, 10am-12pm Bellingham, WA Feb 23, 1-3pm Seattle, WA Feb 23, 12-4pm |
International Events
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Brisbane, Australia Feb 23, 10am-12pmMelbourne, Australia Feb 22, 2-4pmSydney, Australia Feb 23, 11am-2pm
Brussels, Belgium Feb 23, 1-2pm Vancouver, Canada Feb 23, 1-5pm Paris, France Feb 23, 3-5pm Berlin, Germany Feb 23, 12:30-3pm Kaiserslautern, Germany Feb 23, All Day Rome, Italy Feb 23, 4-5pm The Hague, Netherlands Feb 25, 7:30-9:15am Oslo, Norway Feb 23, 10am-12pm Oporto, Portugal Feb 23, 3-6pm Seoul, South Korea Feb 23, 11am |
Kampala, Uganda Feb 23, 10am-12pmDublin, Ireland Feb 23, 1-3pmBirmingham, UK Feb 23, 2pm
Edinburgh, Scotland Feb 23, 12pm London, UK Feb 23, 2pm Peterborough, UK Feb 23, 12-2pm Yorkshire, UK Feb 23, 11am Fairford, UK Feb 23, 9:30am-12pm Bangor, Wales, UK Feb 23, 11am-2pm Cardiff, Wales Feb 23, 10:30am-2:30pm Newport, Wales Feb 23, 12pm Wrexham, Wales Feb 23, 10-11:30am Wales/Ireland/Scotland/England ongoing |