Bergdahl to plead?

[wmenorr67]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/10/16/bowe-bergdahl-expected-to-plead-guilty-in-desertion-case.html

Be interesting to see where this might lead.

[French G.]

Not to a firing squad, so a let down to me.

[Hawkmoon]

Looks like he entered the plea -- with no pre-established bargain for what his sentence might be.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/bergdahl-expected-plead-guilty-desertion-case-monday-074707026.html

[Scout26]

I hope he at least gets life.  From prior rulings, the judge is going to let testimony regarding other soldiers wounding while looking for this POS be factored into his sentencing. 

I hope he gets life.  'tis a shame he has cheated the firing squad,  although it probably would have been by lethal injection.   They could save money by doing Bergdahl, Hasan, Akbar, and Gray assembly line style.   Bullets are cheap...

[wmenorr67]

I hope he at least gets life.  From prior rulings, the judge is going to let testimony regarding other soldiers wounding while looking for this POS be factored into his sentencing. 

I hope he gets life.  'tis a shame he has cheated the firing squad,  although it probably would have been by lethal injection.   They could save money by doing Bergdahl, Hasan, Akbar, and Gray assembly line style.   Bullets are cheap...

Put all of them in a gas chamber together.

[RoadKingLarry]

Give 'em back to the terrorists.
Load 'em up in a C-5, fly over a terrorist camp at 30K' and kick em out th3 back door.

[RocketMan]

Why isn't this guy a bullet riddled corpse slumping at the base of a post?

[Fly320s]

Why isn't this guy a bullet riddled corpse slumping at the base of a post?

This is the kinder, gentler America.  Now get back in your cave, right-winger.

[Firethorn]

Why isn't this guy a bullet riddled corpse slumping at the base of a post?

It has been how many decades since the military executed anybody?

My guess is going to be dishonorable discharge and time served.  This doesn't mean that I approve of this sentence, but that is what I figure he will get.

He is apparently going to suffer lifelong medical complications.  They probably don't want that hassle in the prison.

[DustinD]

www.duffelblog.com/2017/10/bowe-bergdahl-wanders-off-court-martial 

[Perd Hapley]

www.duffelblog.com/2017/10/bowe-bergdahl-wanders-off-court-martial 

A floor buffer, and rubber duckies - nice.

[Scout26]

It has been how many decades since the military executed anybody?

My guess is going to be dishonorable discharge and time served.  This doesn't mean that I approve of this sentence, but that is what I figure he will get.

He is apparently going to suffer lifelong medical complications.  They probably don't want that hassle in the prison.

Last soldier hanged was 1961.  Although there are three that stand a good chance of meeting their executioner here in the next couple of years.

[Firethorn]

Last soldier hanged was 1961.  Although there are three that stand a good chance of meeting their executioner here in the next couple of years.

Indeed, let us look at their crimes.
https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/description-cases-those-sentenced-death-us-military

Ronald Gray - Raped and murdered 2 women, attempted with 3rd.  1 attempt and success were privates, 1 civilian killed.
Hasan Akbar - 2 counts murder, 3 attempted, with a grenade
Andrew Witt - 2 murders, 1 attempted.  With a knife.  Currently OFF death row, sent back by appeals court for resentencing.
Timothy Hennis - 3 murders,   woman an 2 children.  Convicted, then acquitted by the state.  DNA evidence turned up providing for a strong case.  State couldn't do it because of double jeopardy, so the DoD went after him.  Not happy about the end run around double jeopardy, but punishing a murderer?
Nidal Hasan - murdered 13.

All first degree(premeditated) murders, deliberate attacks on fellow soldiers, stuff like that.

I'm not seeing the death penalty for Bergdahl, not by an honest court.  

And to be honest, I'm not that upset about it.  I think there should be a level of difference between the actions.

[Hawkmoon]

Timothy Hennis - 3 murders,   woman an 2 children.  Convicted, then acquitted by the state.  DNA evidence turned up providing for a strong case.  State couldn't do it because of double jeopardy, so the DoD went after him.  Not happy about the end run around DJ, but punishing a murderer?

DJ?

[Firethorn]

DJ?

Sorry, Double Jeopardy.  The thing about how the state isn't supposed to try you twice for the same crime.

From a justice standpoint, I want the guilty found such.

However, from a limited government perspective, I don't want to open the can of worms that is trying somebody at the state level for something, then when they're acquitted there having another whack at them federally.

For every Timothy Hennis, you have an Ammon Bundy, as well as even more sympathetic defendants.

[Scout26]

Indeed, let us look at their crimes.
https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/description-cases-those-sentenced-death-us-military

Ronald Gray - Raped and murdered 2 women, attempted with 3rd.  1 attempt and success were privates, 1 civilian killed.
Hasan Akbar - 2 counts murder, 3 attempted, with a grenade
Andrew Witt - 2 murders, 1 attempted.  With a knife.  Currently OFF death row, sent back by appeals court for resentencing.
Timothy Hennis - 3 murders,   woman an 2 children.  Convicted, then acquitted by the state.  DNA evidence turned up providing for a strong case.  State couldn't do it because of double jeopardy, so the DoD went after him.  Not happy about the end run around double jeopardy, but punishing a murderer?
Nidal Hasan - murdered 13.

All first degree(premeditated) murders, deliberate attacks on fellow soldiers, stuff like that.

I'm not seeing the death penalty for Bergdahl, not by an honest court.  

And to be honest, I'm not that upset about it.  I think there should be a level of difference between the actions.

So how many dead and injured soldiers do they need to tie to Bergdahl and his gone walkabout

[Firethorn]

So how many dead and injured soldiers do they need to tie to Bergdahl and his gone walkabout

The point I was getting at is that they'd need to tie them to Bergdahl doing it personally.

His going walkabout amounts to voluntary manslaughter at most.  The people who actually killed the soldiers are the ones guilty of murder if done outside the laws of war.

Or do you think that a drunk driver who T-Bones a car and kills 3 people should be sentenced the same as somebody who deliberately stabbed a family of 3 to death?

[BobR]

Or do you think that a drunk driver who T-Bones a car and kills 3 people should be sentenced the same as somebody who deliberately stabbed a family of 3 to death?

I'll field this one, a drunk driver absolutely should be sentenced as harshly as someone who stabs 3 people to death, maybe even more harshly.

bob

[Scout26]

The point I was getting at is that they'd need to tie them to Bergdahl doing it personally.

His going walkabout amounts to voluntary manslaughter at most.  The people who actually killed the soldiers are the ones guilty of murder if done outside the laws of war.

Or do you think that a drunk driver who T-Bones a car and kills 3 people should be sentenced the same as somebody who deliberately stabbed a family of 3 to death?

I'd compare it to the guy that helps break into a house and his partner in crime shoots the homeowner (or the third partner in crime that was recently in the nooz).  They are also charged with murder, as if they had pulled the trigger themselves. 

[Hawkmoon]

Or do you think that a drunk driver who T-Bones a car and kills 3 people should be sentenced the same as somebody who deliberately stabbed a family of 3 to death?

Actually, I do think so. Does that make me an evil person?

[wmenorr67]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/03/bergdahl-awaits-sentence-after-days-emotional-testimony.html

*expletive deleted*ing bastard gets off with just a dishonorable discharge. 

Just hope the hell no one offers him a book deal so he can profit off of this.

Not that I would condone this, but he better hope he just goes off somewhere and is never seen again, otherwise someone just might decide to take justice into their own hands.

[Ben]

I would expect this from a civilian judge (ref: Hawaii and the travel ban), but not a military judge. While  I wouldn't expect a life sentence in these times, at the minimum, he should have spent five years in the klink.

I agree that it is absurd to include his "detention" with the Taliban as "time served". It would have been nice if there was (maybe there is?) something in the UCMJ that would preclude him making a dime from any books, movies, etc.

[RoadKingLarry]

I predict he will become a hero and darling of the left.

[Andiron]

I predict he will become a hero and darling of the left.

He and that Manning ahole.

[Firethorn]

Actually, I do think so. Does that make me an evil person?

It makes you have a substantially different moral system than I have.

Personally, on the sentence, I figure it's a "hands washing" sentence.  By cutting him off easy, it prevents any appeal, by noting Trump's statement and saying he's going easy because of it, it prevents an appeal there, etc...

We don't have to pay his medical costs in prison and all that.