AP Explains: Bergdahl judge weighed complex leniency factors
November 5, 2017
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's brutal five years of captivity by Taliban allies carried significant weight in an Army judge's decision to spare him prison time for leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009, legal experts said. Criticism of Bergdahl by President Donald Trump also appeared to push the judge toward leniency.
Army Col. Jeffery Nance didn't explain how he formulated the sentence that also included a dishonorable discharge, reduction in rank and a fine. But the judge had to consider a complex array of arguments for and against leniency.
Prosecutors asked for a 14-ye...
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