Newsmakers

Bradley Manning Verdict to Be Announced Tuesday

FORT MEADE, MARYLAND -- The military judge in the Wikileaks court martial involving U. S. Army Private Bradley Manning said Monday that she will announce a verdict in the case Tuesday.

Manning was alleged to have leaked 700,000 classified documents to Wikileaks, which military prosecutors claim violated the Espionage Act and aided foreign terror groups.

U. S. Army Colonel Denise Lind began deliberating Friday evening after nearly two months of hearing testimony and disclosure of evidence in the court-martial against Manning, who if convicted of the most serious charges could spend the rest of his life in a military prison with no parole.

At noon eastern Monday, Lind called the court into session and made a brief announcement that she had tentatively scheduled the announcement of a verdict for Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET.

Manning, 25, earlier pleaded guilty to lesser charges of mishandling U.S. classified material, and for that faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The court martial held at Fort Meade, Md., concluded on Friday following closing arguments that spanned two days.

Prosecutors argued Manning knew that by releasing the documents they would end up in the hands of foreign terror groups principly Al Qaeda.

Manning’s attorneys argued that Manning was a young, naive, well-intentioned soldier who wanted the released documents to spark debate about U.S. foreign policy.

There was no jury in this case because Manning had requested a trial by judge versus having the case heard by a military jury.