So the Bergdahl ruling was announced and no prison time.
BREAKING: A military judge has ruled that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will receive no jail time for deserting his post in Afghanistan after agreeing to consider tweets by President Trump calling for Bergdahl’s execution a mitigating factor in the sentencing.
Yesterday I was in a FB argument with one of my brother's stupid friends about how 45 should keep his mouth closed about the suspect and what penalty he should receive. Any good defense attorney would argue that his tweets contaminated the jury pool. I also mentioned the Bergdahl case and how his tweets prior to being POTUS were brought up. So I guess those tweets to matter. And I think they are going to be used in the NY case as well.
The Bergdahl ruling makes me happy, but I can see to some extent why the military was pushing for imprisonment. He should't have walked away from his post, because he put his fellow soldiers at risk by abandoning his post and in their search for him. However he endured five years of the worst torture any US military member has endured since the Vietnam War. And he has been vilified in the media and by politicians, up to and including the fucking president, since his release during the prisoner swap. I've also heard several reports that he had some pretty serious mental illness even before his deployment. If we did better by our soldiers' mental health both during and after their enlistment this whole thing may have been avoided. I hope he can find some peace.
Post by karinothing on Nov 3, 2017 11:46:02 GMT -5
It is interesting though. I feel like the Bergdahl case is difference since it was a military court and 45 is commander in chief. Also, the Judge found he could still get a fair trial with those tweets it was just that they could be used as a mitigating factor in sentencing. I have no idea how much of a mitigating factor they were. I think his lawyers were arguing that his time in Taliban captivity should be counted as time served.
I went to the PSA show in Philly last night and they mentioned how 45’s tweets contaminated the NY terror attack jury pool. He needs to get off Twitter but he won’t so I basically expect 7 more years if this bullshit.
I went to the PSA show in Philly last night and they mentioned how 45’s tweets contaminated the NY terror attack jury pool. He needs to get off Twitter but he won’t so I basically expect 7 more years if this bullshit.
The only thing that concerns be about the dishonorable discharge and no jail time is his mental health. He clearly has issues that need treatment, and with that discharge, he sure won't be getting VA benefits.
It is interesting though. I feel like the Bergdahl case is difference since it was a military court and 45 is commander in chief. Also, the Judge found he could still get a fair trial with those tweets it was just that they could be used as a mitigating factor in sentencing. I have no idea how much of a mitigating factor they were. I think his lawyers were arguing that his time in Taliban captivity should be counted as time served.
I flew countless combat missions looking for Sgt Bergdahl, and witnessed people getting killed in an effort to find/rescue him (before it became clear that he had deserted). I can’t even begin to imagine not only the loss of life caused by his actions, and the loss of resources (not just money, fuel, etc, but resources diverted from other very important missions going on at that time, that probably resulted in more loss of life). I am appalled that he isn’t receiving jail time. I am also appalled that our CinC weighed in on Twitter, which was completely inappropriate.
Post by WanderingWinoZ on Nov 3, 2017 20:16:39 GMT -5
maddow is doing a long segment on this tonight- the NYC terror suspect getting the death penalty at Gitmo, the Bergdahl sentence, Trump voicing his opinion in a wholly inappropriate way and inappropriately influencing the judicial system