Private Manning, 25, has been convicted of disclosing hundreds of thousands of government documents to WikiLeaks, and as the sentencing phase of his trial nears its end, his lawyers are arguing that he is an idealistic if naïve young man who was let down by a commander aware of his troubled mental state.
One of the defense lawyers, David E. Coombs, said Private Manning had demonstrated that he could return to being a productive member of society after a brief prison sentence.
Prosecutors urged the judge, Col. Denise R. Lind, to sentence Private Manning to at least 60 years in prison for violating his oath to serve and protect the United States. The government has said Army commanders could not have known that Private Manning would leak classified materials, no matter his emotional health.
"He's been convicted of serious crimes," said Capt. Joe Morrow, a prosecutor. "He betrayed the United States, and for that betrayal he deserves to spend the majority of his remaining life in confinement."
But Mr. Coombs said Private Manning should not be denied the chance to live a normal life for a leak that has not been proven to be a long-term threat to the country's security.
"Long after this information probably is no longer even classified — if it's still classified — long after that day has passed, the government still wants Pfc. Manning rotting in a jail cell," he said.
Private Manning faces up to 90 years in prison after being convicted on most charges, including six counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917. Colonel Lind will begin deliberating the sentence on Tuesday. It is unclear when she will announce his sentence.
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