Bradley Manning gets 35 years for leaks, now wants to be 'Chelsea' Manning

Story.

Manning was sentenced to 35 years behind bars for his charges. The prosecution was shooting for 60 years and the defense suggested he gets no more than 25 years because that is the amount of time before the classification on most of the documents would have expired anyway.

He will be eligible for parole after serving a third of his sentence, so that combined with time already served means he could be released as early as 2020 since he was arrested in 2009. Thoughts?

Update: Private Manning now wants to be referred to as "Chelsea Manning" and wants to start the transition as soon as possible.

His lawyer wants the Army to allow him to start while he is in confinement. His lawyer is also hoping that the President will pardon him.

It's too much but I'd be shocked if he serves more than half of it.  I'm not going to be delusional and suggest that the the government should literally share everything or that indiscriminate leaking of documents, no matter how well-intenioned is 'okay' but this sentence for a 22-year-old whose actions caused a relatively small amount of real damage and whose intentions weren't negative is a bit over the top.

I wouldn't be surpised if he got a pardon from a future president.

cool

I thought it was, like, two hundred years or something.PannicAtack

I wouldn't be surpised if he got a pardon from a future president.

Storm_Marine

I thought it was, like, two hundred years or something.PannicAtack

[QUOTE="Storm_Marine"]

I wouldn't be surpised if he got a pardon from a future president.

BossPerson

Jimmy Carter 2 already came back, his name is Barack Obama. :|

Poor guy.thebest31406

People have gotten much less for manslaughter? What weird sentencing laws in the United States. ferrari2001

I guess he was a security risk to USA now he has to do the time. 35 years, thats sad. I usually feel bad for anyone doing that much time unless they are murderers, rapists or child molesters.

Considering he will only serve around 8 years of that sentence, I think it is fair.

Once you do some research on his background his overall character comes into question. In my opinion, he comes across as more of a disgruntled employee than an idealist. By the time he downloaded all of that information he was already on his way out of the Army for punching a female Army officer in the face. My guess is that he released all of those documents as a way of getting back at his employer before he could be kicked out.

[QUOTE="BossPerson"][QUOTE="Storm_Marine"]

I wouldn't be surpised if he got a pardon from a future president.

Storm_Marine

Jimmy Carter 2 already came back, his name is Barack Obama. :|

Lol Obama has far more in common with Bush than Jimmy Carter. 

[QUOTE="PannicAtack"]I thought it was, like, two hundred years or something.BossPerson

Way, way too much. What a joke the U.S. penal system is.chrisrooR

it's military law not civilian criminal court.  There is a pretty significant difference in crimes and punishments

This would be much easier to swallow if the current and past administrations hadn't just been shown to be so overtly criminal and secretive. One can only wonder what sort of sentences Obama and Bush should be getting if this is what Manning got.

[QUOTE="Storm_Marine"]

I wouldn't be surpised if he got a pardon from a future president.

BossPerson

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"]Way, way too much. What a joke the U.S. penal system is.lostrib

it's military law not civilian criminal court.  There is a pretty significant difference in crimes and punishments

way too muchBossPerson

FREEDOMZ

FREEDOMZ

GrayF0X786

[QUOTE="lostrib"]

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"]Way, way too much. What a joke the U.S. penal system is.chrisrooR

it's military law not civilian criminal court.  There is a pretty significant difference in crimes and punishments

that's an entirely separate issue.  

FREEDOMZ

GrayF0X786

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"][QUOTE="lostrib"]

it's military law not civilian criminal court.  There is a pretty significant difference in crimes and punishments

lostrib

that's an entirely separate issue.  

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"][QUOTE="lostrib"]

it's military law not civilian criminal court.  There is a pretty significant difference in crimes and punishments

lostrib

that's an entirely separate issue.  

Its pretty easy not to send out classified documents. He should have known better. He will be someone's girlfriend now.DaBrainz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_July_2007_Baghdad_airstrike

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granai_airstrike

I agree that as a state the U.S. had no option but to punish him, but I condone and approve his actions. There has been an inversion of values where the population are spied upon and watched, with no right to privacy, while the government hides and conceals actions and decisions that its population might not agree with. That people approve that is what baffles me the most.

[QUOTE="lostrib"]

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"] He revealed crimes committed by the same organization that's responsible for persecuting him. It's a fvcking joke. chrisrooR

that's an entirely separate issue.  

[QUOTE="GrayF0X786"]

FREEDOMZ

LJS9502_basic

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"][QUOTE="lostrib"]

that's an entirely separate issue.  

LJS9502_basic

[QUOTE="chrisrooR"][QUOTE="lostrib"]

that's an entirely separate issue.  

LJS9502_basic

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"][QUOTE="GrayF0X786"]

FREEDOMZ

GrayF0X786

[QUOTE="GrayF0X786"]

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"] Far as I know there is no country where one is free to commit crime.......Ridiculous statement to make.LJS9502_basic

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"][QUOTE="chrisrooR"] No, it isn't. It's important to note that the organization that is handing out his sentence is the same organization that he exposed at having broken the same set of laws he's being punished by. I don't see how that isn't extremely relevant. chrisrooR

[QUOTE="GrayF0X786"]

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"] Far as I know there is no country where one is free to commit crime.......Ridiculous statement to make.LJS9502_basic

but i'm sure God is proud of you for accepting the fact that he should be in jail. :)

Gawd bless Murika.