U.S. official: Military, Bales' attorneys in discussions on sanity hearing By Michael Martinez and Barbara Starr, CNN March 30, 2012 -- Updated 2024 GMT (0424 HKT) The office of John Henry Browne, Bales' attorney, accused the government of blocking its access to information and witnesses. A "sanity board" would examine Staff Sgt. Bales' mental state at time of Afghan massacre The board would also examine whether he's competent to stand trial Officials and Bales' attorneys are now discussing a sanity board, a U.S. official tells CNN Bales is charged with murdering 17 Afghan villagers (CNN) -- U.S. military officials and defense attorneys for Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, charged with murdering 17 Afghans this month, are in discussions about a "sanity board" that would examine Bales' mental state, a U.S. official told CNN Friday. Bales' attorneys were told that convening such a board is likely, the official said. No decision had been reached on whether Bales would be examined at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he is now being held, or would be brought to Washington, the official said. Under the sanity board process, the military command would direct a board of officers to conduct a sanity investigation and hearing into Bales' mental state at the time of the alleged offenses and whether he's competent to stand trial, military lawyer and retired U.S. Navy judge advocate Phil Cave told CNN in a recent interview. Meanwhile, the office of Bales' attorney, John Henry Browne, issued a statement Friday on behalf of the defense team accusing the U.S. government of blocking its access to records and witnesses. "We are facing an almost complete information blackout from the government, which is having a devastating effect on our ability to investigate the charges preferred against our client," the defense team statement said. When we tried to interview the injured civilians being treated at Kandahar Hospital we were denied access and told to coordinate with the prosecution team. The next day the prosecution team interviewed the civilian injured. We found out shortly after the prosecution interviews of the injured civilians that the civilians were all released from the hospital and there was no contact information for them," the statement said. Bales' attorneys said they are also being denied access to the medical records of injured civilians. "The prosecution is withholding the entire investigative file from the defense team while the potential witnesses scatter into unknown and potentially unaccessible areas in Afghanistan," the statement said. But the U.S. official told CNN that the exchange of information doesn't being until an Article 32 hearing is ordered. At such a hearing, military authorities would determine whether to proceed with charges against Bales or to put him before a group of experts to determine whether his mental health may be a factor in his defense. The military investigation is ongoing, and the United States has no jurisdiction over access to Afghan civilians, the U.S. official said. CNN's Barbara Starr contributed from Washington and Michael Martinez from Los Angeles. Slaughter in Afghanistan His lawyer says Sgt. Robert Bales may have post-traumatic stress disorder or a brain injury.