The verdict in the court-martial of former Army intelligence analyst Pfc. Bradley Manning was expected today from the military judge hearing the case at Fort Meade, Maryland, and it all hinges on whether or not Manning had "evil intent" in doing what he did.
Manning's court-martial began on June 3, and while he had already confessed and pleaded guilty to lesser charges of misconduct, the government chose to pursue the more heightened charges of espionage and "aiding the enemy," subjecting him to a possible life sentence.
Manning waived his right to a jury trial and could face up to twenty years for the lesser charges, but the government has taken pains to prove "a general evil intent" on the part of Manning, making note that some of the documents leaked by WikiLeaks landed in the hands of Osama bin Laden before his death.
From the outset of the proceedings, Manning's defense attorney argued that Manning was "selective" in the documents he leaked, trying not to put soldiers in harm's way, and believed that he was "hoping to make the world a better place."
It has also come to light that the first person Manning sought counsel from was Bay Area-based ex-hacker Adrian Lamo, with whom he confided that he was attracted to men, and that he was considering the possibility he was transgender. It was during this period of personal turmoil that Manning decided to leak the documents he had access to. Because of this, his cause was taken up by the LGBT community and caused a rift among members of the SF Pride organization, some of whom tried to honor Manning as a Grand Marshal of this year's Pride festivities.
If the judge in the case, Col. Denise Lind, sides with the government on the more serious charges, and if the decision holds up on appeal, the case has the potential to redefine the notion of "aiding the enemy" as something that can be done indirectly, and even unintentionally. Her decision is expected within an hour or two, and we'll update you as soon as we learn it.
Update: He was acquitted of aiding the enemy, but convicted of five charges of espionage. Having been convicted of 19 out 22 counts, he still could face over 100 years in military prison. Sentencing will begin Wednesday. Our friends at DCist have some further analysis.
