A military judge on Tuesday found Pfc. Bradley Manning not guilty of
“aiding the enemy” for his release of hundreds of thousands of military
and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks. But she convicted him of multiple
counts of violating the Espionage Act, stealing government property and
other charges that could result in a maximum sentence of 136 years.
In delivering the mixed verdict, the judge, Col. Denise Lind, pulled
back from the government’s effort to create a precedent that press
freedom specialists had warned could have broad consequences for the
future of investigative journalism about national security in the
Internet era.
Colonel Lind marched through a quick litany of the charges and
specifications against Private Manning, 25, who stood quietly in his
dress uniform as she spoke. She said she would issue findings later that
would explain her ruling.
The sentencing phase in the court-martial will begin on Wednesday with
more than 20 witnesses each for the prosecution and the defense. It
could last weeks; there is no minimum sentence in the military justice
system. Subsequent appeals could take years, legal specialists said.
