Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bowe Bergdahl Avoids Prison; Trump Once Urged Death Penalty
NY Times ^ | Nov. 3, 2017 | RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.

Posted on 11/03/2017 4:03:31 PM PDT by Innovative

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who walked off his Army base in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held captive by the Taliban for five years, was ordered to be dishonorably discharged from the Army by a military judge on Friday, but received no prison time for desertion or endangering troops.

At a sentencing that took only minutes, the military judge, Col. Jeffery R. Nance of the Army, also reduced Sergeant Bergdahl’s rank to private and required him to forfeit $1,000 a month of his pay for 10 months.

Prosecutors had sought 14 years in a military prison. President Trump, who has labeled Sergeant Bergdahl a “dirty rotten traitor,” quickly criticized Friday’s sentence, calling it “a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bergdahl; bergdahldeserter; bergdahlnoprison; bergdahlsentencing; deserter; jihadijudge; traitor; treason; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 next last
To: stars & stripes forever

An utterly disgraceful decision! As a military veteran, I am deeply offended, appalled and absolutely furious with letting Bergdahl “walk”. That judge needs to have his ass handed to him and NOW!


21 posted on 11/03/2017 4:20:58 PM PDT by DaveA37
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: maggief

.
Sounds like a mormon democrap.
.


22 posted on 11/03/2017 4:22:40 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Innovative

This encourages more crazies to join the military. There is no discipline expected from our troops when someone can cause the death of fellow soldiers and get off with a $10,000 fine, paid on the handy installment plan. Sickening.


23 posted on 11/03/2017 4:24:35 PM PDT by txrefugee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Innovative
That judge should be tarred, feathered and run out of town on a rail.


24 posted on 11/03/2017 4:28:49 PM PDT by Vlad The Inhaler (Libtards wish anarchy and death for others, but exempt themselves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Reno89519

I just looked this up and given the way it is they will sign off on it. No choice. I thought perhaps a review by the Secretary of the Army might be able to overturn the sentence, but he can’t and neither can Trump. All that can happen is to transfer the Judge to some remote outpost.


25 posted on 11/03/2017 4:30:23 PM PDT by Captain Peter Blood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: waredbird

“I believe Col. Jeffery R. Nance should now be charged with dereliction of duty.”

Trump is Commander in Chief. He can order an investigation of the Bergdahl matter including recommendations to fix the broken military courts. In addition he can force Colonel Nance into retirement.

However, Trump was own worst enemy in this situation. He should never have publicly “prejudged” Bergdahl just as he should not have prejudged the terrorist who mowed down people in NY with the truck. His statements can be considered prejudicial. There are nuanced ways for him to convey his message without allowing progressive prosecutor, judges, and defense attorneys an excuse for not administering justice.


26 posted on 11/03/2017 4:30:37 PM PDT by Soul of the South (The past is gone and cannot be changed. Tomorrow can be a better day if we work on it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Soul of the South

BS.

It’s just Trump speaking Truth to Power.


27 posted on 11/03/2017 4:33:41 PM PDT by Paladin2 (No spelchk nor wrong word auto substition on mobile dev. Please be intelligent and deal with it....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Innovative
The sentence will automatically be reviewed by the chain of command above the president of the court and the conviction and/or sentence could be thrown out or rejected and returned to the court. In this case a two star general will review the finding and sentence.

I believe That the Government could appeal the sentence although it is very unlikely and uncommon it will happen that way. The case can be heard by a US court of appeals for the Military and even the Supreme Court.

28 posted on 11/03/2017 4:36:41 PM PDT by pfflier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Innovative

Seems like the judge let this traitor go free as a way to punish Trump.


29 posted on 11/03/2017 4:37:07 PM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Innovative

Here's the "judge" slug who sentenced Bozo Bunghole to nothing.




Col. Jeffery R. Nance
(Traitor, Second Class)


30 posted on 11/03/2017 4:40:04 PM PDT by Songcraft
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: waredbird

The traitorous judge and the traitor should be marched out at 05:00 to the tune of Danny Deever.


31 posted on 11/03/2017 4:47:55 PM PDT by 5th MEB (Progressives in the open; --- FIRE FOR EFFECT!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Innovative

I’ll add my two cents. I went to the gym at JBLM today and everyone that I spoke with was disgusted and agreed that this is a travesty of justice. As a retired grunt and Gold Star dad I’ll just say that the judge can kiss my ************* ass. I apologize for my nasty post but have no other way to respond as the decision sickens me and also made Mrs. ElevenB cry. As a Christian I pray for Bo Bergdahl but not without a lot of pain in my heart.


32 posted on 11/03/2017 4:51:58 PM PDT by ElevenB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

“BS.”

Trump is Commander in Chief. He can take action instead of just spouting off. For some reason he has chosen to sound off and do nothing.

Not unlike the situation with Sessions. He can fire Sessions with a statement that Sessions cannot be an effective Attorney General when he (Sessions) chooses to recuse himself from many critical issues before the DOJ. The POTUS needs an AG who can oversea all activities of the department. It is an understandable and valid position. Instead of taking action, Trump continues to tweet his displeasure with Sessions and the DOJ. Time for him to stop whining and lead. Real leaders deal with problems.


33 posted on 11/03/2017 4:53:47 PM PDT by Soul of the South (The past is gone and cannot be changed. Tomorrow can be a better day if we work on it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Innovative

>Despite my typo, Bergdahl still deserves the death penalty.

If the world is just, he’ll still get it.


34 posted on 11/03/2017 4:59:39 PM PDT by JohnyBoy (We should forgive communists, but not before they are hanged.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: waredbird

>I believe Col. Jeffery R. Nance should now be charged with dereliction of duty.

And then shot by firing squad.


35 posted on 11/03/2017 5:01:24 PM PDT by JohnyBoy (We should forgive communists, but not before they are hanged.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: maggief

There should be no such thing as a lawyer in the Military. You either are a fighting man or you shouldn’t be in.


36 posted on 11/03/2017 5:02:41 PM PDT by JohnyBoy (We should forgive communists, but not before they are hanged.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Soul of the South

>However, Trump was own worst enemy in this situation. He should never have publicly “prejudged” Bergdahl just as he should not have prejudged the terrorist who mowed down people in NY with the truck. His statements can be considered prejudicial. There are nuanced ways for him to convey his message without allowing progressive prosecutor, judges, and defense attorneys an excuse for not administering justice.

BS. Take that leftist line of propaganda and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. The president has free speech rights just like the rest of us and those comments were made on the campaign trail.


37 posted on 11/03/2017 5:04:23 PM PDT by JohnyBoy (We should forgive communists, but not before they are hanged.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Soul of the South

Trump has no shortage of troubles to address.

I think he is somewhat trying to keep his powder dry so it lasts through at least the first term.


38 posted on 11/03/2017 5:06:03 PM PDT by Paladin2 (No spelchk nor wrong word auto substition on mobile dev. Please be intelligent and deal with it....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: manc

I joined 45 years ago...

we got to our barracks the first day...about 3am after travelling all day etc.. and then had to have a meeting with our TIs who asked all of us why we joined...

It was news to me that we got any free college...I joined because I love America and there was a war going on...I wanted to serve..

Most of the other women said for the free education and the TIs beamed..finally it was my turn and when I failed to utter the accepted phrases, but said what was in my heart, I got ugly looks...and frowny faces from many of the other new recruits..

Years later I did use the old GI Bill for college but that wasn’t why I joined...

Meanwhile how come someone who got a dishonorable is not leaving the military right away ???

Plus I do hope the families sue him for some of those $300,000 that he has received from our tax money ...

for the last 8 years that means $40,000 a year is that how much the military gets now ???


39 posted on 11/03/2017 5:26:13 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Innovative

Pathetic.. a disgusting piece of shxt.
I hope - Judge Col Col. Jeffrey Nance and Bergdahl both die one hell of a very slow painful death.

Desertion in a time of war and you get a dishonorable discharge. Fuxking Obama’s military scum.


40 posted on 11/03/2017 5:27:16 PM PDT by maddog55 (After years of trying, you actually can't fix stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson