Lets not get too excited - this is not a real trial. It is a publicity event by Manning. While he may very well be on the right track, there is no direct legal authority in any of these “proceedings”.
No one with any real weight will pay attention to this, and it won’t make any difference. Which is a shame, since the duly elected officials and judicial system don’t want to address this.
As justice Thomas recently informed us, they are "avoiding" this issue.