• Bradley Manning has been found not guilty of aiding the enemy
• Manning has been found guilty of five espionage charges
• He has been found guilty of five theft charges
Bradley Manning has been found not guilty of the most serious charge he faced, aiding the enemy, but still faces up to 130 years in prison after being found guilty on several counts of theft and espionage. There is no mandatory minimum for any of these charges so Army Col. Denise Judge Lind will have complete flexibility in determining the sentence.
The military judge hearing the case, Judge Lind, gave her verdict at 1pm on Tuesday, July 30th, 2013. The aiding the enemy charge was the most serious, as it carried a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Manning was found guilty of espionage even though he was careful not to leak documents that would harm military operations.
However Manning could still face an effective life sentence after being convicted on numerous other counts. He was found guilty of five charges of theft and five charges of espionage as well as other offenses. His convictions carry a maximum sentence of up to 130 years in prison.
Manning’s sentencing hearing will begin tomorrow. It is expected that the sentencing hearings will take all of the month of August. The government has 13 witnesses that will testify in closed court about the damage Manning did to US national security.