Is 11 Years Tough Enough For Lynndie England?

[ForRizzle]

First let me say what a cutie this little umpa lumpa is! Then do you feel copping an 11 year plea bargain is a fair sentance or did she deserve more?

England pleads guilty to Abu Ghraib charges

Former clerk could face as little as 2 years in prison

Monday, May 2, 2005 Posted: 1:31 PM EDT (1731 GMT)

Lynndie England arrives at hearing Monday at Fort Hood, Texas.

FORT HOOD, Texas (CNN) -- U.S. Army Pfc. Lynndie England -- the reservist whose image symbolized Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison scandal -- pleaded guilty Monday to charges related to the abuse at the Baghdad facility.

During a morning pretrial hearing at Fort Hood, Texas, England pleaded guilty to seven charges: two counts of conspiracy, four counts of abusing detainees and one count of committing an indecent act.

CNN has learned that England could face as little as two years in prison on the seven charges, under terms of a plea agreement reached with prosecutors. Judge Col. James Pohl has not yet accepted England's pleas. England faces up to 11 years in prison.

England pleaded not guilty to two other counts against her: dereliction of duty and committing an indecent act. The prosecutor has agreed not to pursue those two charges under the plea deal.

The latter charge involves Pvt. Charles Graner Jr., who is believed to be the father of her infant son. Graner was convicted in January in the Abu Ghraib scandal and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. (Full story)

After a recess, Pohl is expected to question England to determine whether she is fully aware of the consequences of her decision.

Through her military attorney, Capt. Jonathan Crisp, England asked that a jury be seated to decide her penalty. That jury, a panel of nine officers and enlisted men, would be seated Tuesday.

The jury could significantly lower England's jail time as it did earlier this year for Sgt. Javal Davis, who made a deal giving him 18 months in prison. The jury, however, reduced that sentence to six months.

England pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy based on a photograph of a pyramid of naked detainees and another in which she is shown with a naked detainee on a dog leash.

The four counts of abuse were based on those two photographs, one in which naked prisoners are arranged to simulate a sex act and another in which she posed with a detainee who had the misspelled word "rapeist" written on his leg.

The charge of participating in an indecent act was based on the photograph of a row of naked prisoners, lined up against a wall and ordered to m********e.

All of the incidents except the dog leash and the "rapeist" incidents took place on England's 21st birthday, November 7, 2003, when England -- a clerk, not a guard -- had come to the cell block to visit Graner.

The detainees in the photographs were suspected of starting a riot in another area of the prison and had been brought to the cell block for further questioning.

Considered the ringleader of the abuse, Graner is the only guard to stand trial so far. Four other guards have pleaded guilty, as have two military intelligence operatives at the prison.

Graner is married to Army Spc. Megan Ambuhl, who was one of the four guards to plead guilty.

Another female Army reservist who was at Abu Ghraib, Spc. Sabrina Harman, also faces court-martial at Fort Hood. Harman's case is to be tried May 12.

In a separate development during the hearing, Pohl denied Crisp's request that the judge recuse himself. Crisp argued that the transfer of England's case from Iraq to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Fort Hood was strange. He also questioned a change in the charges against her that took place after she arrived at Fort Hood.

England was sent from Iraq to Fort Bragg about a year ago because of her pregnancy. Her case was the only one to be initiated in the United States rather than Iraq.

When the Fort Bragg commanding general was dispatched to Iraq and the Fort Hood general returned late last year, her case was transferred to Fort Hood, where the charges were reviewed before the court-martial date was set.

In March, the number of counts England faced and the maximum possible sentence were cut by more than half in revised charges filed by the commanding general at Fort Hood. The original charges brought against her at Fort Bragg carried a maximum sentence of 38 years.

Link:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/02/england.plea/index.html

[bathory]

oops i just read that 2 year minimum, in that case, i see no problems with it

Edited May 3, 2005 by bathory

[eckogangsta]

ew thats a girl?

looks like my gym teacher. omg gross... should get a high sentence just because of the nastiness

[Amalgamut]

HAha, she does look like an "umpa loompa."

[Stellar]

She is so fugly.

[_Nyx_]

However long she's in for, as long as she goes to the "right" prison, she may end up feeling the same things her vicitms felt. Now, that's justice, in my opinion.

Now, I heard on the news this evening that her lawyer wants to enter a plea of some kind of mental disorder. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the military won't accept you if you have an improperly healed break or bad feet or whatever, would they allow someone in with mental problems?

[jjtss]

How many years in prison did her commanding officers and G. Bush get for ordering her to do that????? Geez Never Volunteer and never follow orders. Obedience is not a cheap virtue!!!!!!

[girty1600]

11 years might be a little steep but she will never serve that long. They are making an example of her (as they probably should). And yes, she does have a mental disorder; she is a mean-ass. It was clearly not her job to punish these men for their crimes and she new better. She will nw pay the price. I don't think much of these men that were tortured. I don't think they are innocent but it is not my job to punish them either.......

[The Caspian Hare]

Eleven years? Only if it's hard labor. In addition to being morally reprehensible, her actions helped fuel the insurgency and probably indirectly contributed to the deaths of Americans and Iraqis. I hope she hangs herself from a bedsheet.

[Elfstone810]

I think it's probably a fair sentence.

I am not in the least trying to excuse her actions, but I think that, even if they avoid shouldering it, a large part of the blame has to go to the political and military leaders who allowed a culture to develop where it was seen as acceptable to dehumanize people and treat them cruelly. A good leader brings out the best in people. A poor leader allows the worst in them to emerge.