Afghan killer’s defense attorney making unusual request
Aug 13, 2013, 6:03 AM | Updated: 6:46 am
Attorney John Henry Browne is worried the prosecution will use the statements Sergeant Robert Bales (shown in the courtroom sketch above) made to doctors against him at sentencing. (AP Image/File)
(AP Image/File)
A week before his client will be sentenced for killing 16 civilians in Afghanistan, attorney John Henry Browne wants the entire prosecution team thrown off the case.
Browne said the military judge hearing the case against Staff Sergeant Robert Bales gave the prosecution an unredacted copy of his client’s psychiatric evaluation by mistake.
He believes the only way to fix the error is to remove the prosecution team before next week’s sentencing. He will make his argument for that Tuesday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Browne is worried the prosecution will use the statements Sergeant Bales made to doctors against him at sentencing.
Browne is hoping to get his client a chance of parole after Sergeant Bales pleaded guilty to the mass killing to avoid the death penalty earlier this year.
