-
Tips for becoming a good boxer - November 6, 2020
-
7 expert tips for making your hens night a memorable one - November 6, 2020
-
5 reasons to host your Christmas party on a cruise boat - November 6, 2020
-
What to do when you’re charged with a crime - November 6, 2020
-
Should you get one or multiple dogs? Here’s all you need to know - November 3, 2020
-
A Guide: How to Build Your Very Own Magic Mirror - February 14, 2019
-
Our Top Inspirational Baseball Stars - November 24, 2018
-
Five Tech Tools That Will Help You Turn Your Blog into a Business - November 24, 2018
-
How to Indulge on Vacation without Expanding Your Waist - November 9, 2018
-
5 Strategies for Businesses to Appeal to Today’s Increasingly Mobile-Crazed Customers - November 9, 2018
Bergdahl Charged With Desertion; Arraigned In North Carolina
Bergdahl will face a court martial – which could end with him spending the rest of his life in prison if he is convicted of the rare misbehavior charge – next year. The next pretrial hearing was scheduled for January 12 before Army Judge Colonel Jeffery R. Nance, who will preside over future hearings.
Advertisement
Bergdahl entered his request to be defended by civilian lawyer Eugene Fidell and military lawyer Capt. Frank Rosenblatt rather than the appointed detailed military defense counselor.
Bergdahl did not say much but spoke confidently when he responded to the judge’s questions with answers of, “Yes, sir”, and “No, sir”.
Bergdahl, who was wearing his dark blue US Army dress uniform and medals, was briefed on his rights and replied with a soft “Yes sir” when asked whether he understood.
Bergdahl was charged by the Army with “desertion and misbehavior before the enemy” for voluntarily walking off his base in Afghanistan in 2009.
Bergdahl was captured after he abandoned his Afghan post in June 2009, military prosecutors say.
Earlier this month, head of the Army Forces Command Gen. Robert B. Abrams ordered that Bergdahl face a court-martial for desertion. That prompted harsh criticism, with some in Congress accusing President Obama of jeopardizing the safety of the country with the exchange.
Each week on “Speaking of Serial”, reporters with the Idaho Statesman and Boise State Public Radio will discuss Bergdahl’s case, Serial’s reporting and what happens when an Idahoan becomes the center of worldwide news. The former charge allows military authorities to allege that Bergdahl not only deserted his unit, but that he put them in harm’s way amid the search for his whereabouts. “If the jury found Bergdahl guilty and elected to sentence him to more than 10 years in prison, it would require a three-fourths vote via secret ballot, the judge said”.
Advertisement
For his part, the sergeant has told a Hollywood screenwriter researching for a movie that he walked off base in a bid to prove he was capable of solo heroics like fictional ex-CIA assassin Jason Bourne.