On October 10th, we encourage Washington, D.C. residents to attend the CCR’s  lawsuit against the military for undue secrecy in the Bradley Manning trial. 

By the Bradley Manning Support Network. September 13, 2012.

A confused press pool at the Bradley Manning trial. Court room sketch by Clark Stoeckley.

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is bringing a lawsuit calling for Army Colonel Judge Denise Lind to grant the press and public access to court filings, such as defense and government motions, court orders and judge’s decisions or rulings.  The CCR’s argument will be heard October 10 at 10:15 am at the military appeals court located in Washington, DC.  In a statement, the CCR has put forth the argument that the “default presumption against transparency serves no one’s interests – least of all the interests of the government, which will see the legitimacy of any conviction questioned if the current status quo prevails.”

Kevin Gozstola of Firedoglake explains:

Scheduling of the argument comes just days after thirty press outlets, including The Associated Press, Atlantic Media, Dow Jones, Gannett, Hearst, CNN, McClatchy, The New York Times, The New York Daily News, POLITICO, Reuters, the Tribune Co. and The Washington Post,  signed on to a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) brief in support of the lawsuit.

CCR has sent representatives to Bradley’s hearings a number of times.  We encourage all those who support Bradley Manning, and freedom of information, to also attend the court proceedings for CCR’s litigation on October 10th, dressed in “Truth” t-shirts or “Free Bradley Manning” messages if possible.

Read more…

Military Appeals Court to Hear Argument Over Access to Bradley Manning Court Martial Records. By Kevin Gozstola at FireDogLake.
Transparency Might Turn Bradley Manning’s Court Martial into a Circus. By Kevin Gozstola at FireDogLake.