Woman Who Allegedly Stole Pelosi's Laptop Arrested
Bradley Manning Gets 35 Years in Prison
Prosecutors had wanted 60
By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff
Posted Aug 21, 2013 9:30 AM CDT
Army Pfc. Bradley Manning steps out of a security vehicle as he is escorted into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Aug. 21, 2013, before a sentencing hearing in his court martial. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
(Newser) – Bradley Manning has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for his infamous leaking activities, according to multiple reports. He will also be dishonorably discharged and forfeit all pay and allowances, the Guardian reports. Manning will get credit for the time he's already spent in jail, which amounts to 1,294 days, or 3.55 years. His sentence falls short of the 60 years the government had sought, according to CNN, but the defense had wanted a 25-year term. Manning will be eligible for parole after serving a third of the sentence, the AP points out.
The entire hearing lasted less than two minutes, with the judge, Col. Denise Lind, declining to explain the reasoning behind her sentence. Manning showed no visible emotion. As he was led from the courtroom, supporters shouted, "You're our hero," and "We'll keep fighting for you, Bradley." Defense attorneys had fought for a "sentence that allows him to have a life," the Verge reports, while prosecutors had argued that a lengthy sentence would deter others. "He betrayed the United States," one prosecutor said yesterday, "and for that betrayal he deserves to spend the majority of his remaining life in confinement." (Read more Bradley Manning stories.)