US Army deserter Bergdahl's sentencing hearing postponed to Wednesday — when he faces life in prison

Thomson Reuters

• The sentencing hearing for US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was postponed on Monday.
• He could go to prison for life for deserting his duties in Afghanistan in June 2009 and endangering the lives of fellow troops.
• The hearing is now scheduled for Wednesday.

---

 

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Reuters) — The sentencing hearing for U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who could go to prison for life for deserting his duties in Afghanistan in June 2009 and endangering the lives of fellow troops, was postponed on Monday for two days due to an emergency for a lawyer in the case.

The proceedings at North Carolina's Fort Bragg will resume on Wednesday, Army Judge Colonel Jeffery Nance said in court.

The hearing is expected to include testimony from soldiers injured in the dangerous search for Bergdahl, who walked off his combat outpost in Paktika province to report what he said were "critical problems" in his chain of command.

The 31-year-old Idaho native was quickly captured by the Taliban and spent the next five years suffering torture, abuse and neglect in captivity. A Taliban prisoner swap that won his release in 2014, organized by the administration of then-Democratic President Barack Obama, was criticized by people in the military and by Republicans.

During last year's presidential campaign, Republican Donald Trump called Bergdahl "a no-good traitor who should have been executed."

Bergdahl pleaded guilty on Oct. 16 to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, with the latter offense carrying a possible life sentence. He entered a "naked plea," meaning he does not have an agreement about the sentencing terms with prosecutors.

Thomson Reuters

Former Army Corporal Jonathan Morita told Reuters in a phone interview on Sunday that he may testify this week before Army Judge Colonel Jeffery Nance about his injuries, including one to his hand during a 2009 search operation.

Morita said he believed Bergdahl should be dishonorably discharged and sentenced to as much as life in prison.

"A fair sentence, I hope, for his actions and what it created," Morita said.

Navy SEAL Senior Chief James Hatch, shot in the leg during an attempted rescue, is also expected to speak at the hearing, his attorney, Buddy Rake, told KPHO-TV last week. Rake could not be reached on Sunday.

REUTERS/Jonathan DrakeIn determining a sentence, the judge may consider Bergdahl's time in captivity, while prosecutors may focus on the soldiers injured in the search.

Bergdahl, who testified in court that he tried to escape his captors 15 times, admitted wrongdoing but said he never intended to put anyone at risk.

"I didn't think there'd be any reason to pull off a crucial mission to look for one guy," he said, adding his actions were "very inexcusable."

Bergdahl remains on active duty in a clerical job at a base in San Antonio.

The White House released a statement on Friday saying that the president expected those involved in military justice cases to use independent judgment. It did not mention Bergdahl by name.

"Each military justice case must be resolved on its own facts," the statement said.

NOW WATCH: FMR. DEFENSE SECRETARY: US ‘paid too high a price’ for Bowe Bergdahl