Judge Rejects Motion To Dismiss Charges Against Bradley Manning

A military judge refused to dismiss all charges against Pfc. Bradley Manning, the former intelligence analyst accused of leaking classified government documents to Wikileaks, ruling on Tuesday that most of the pretrial delays in the case were justified.

Lawyers for Manning argued the charges should be dismissed because he was denied a speedy trial. He has been detained for two years and nine months, or more than 1,000 days, without a trial.

Under military court rules, defendants must be brought to trial within 120 days of being charged.

Taking two hours to read her decision, Judge Denise Lind said that time spent on unacceptable delays only added up to 90 days.

The decision means the case against Manning will most likely go forward.

Defense attorney David Coombs said prosecutors dragged their feet and that a commander rubber-stamped their requests for delay after delay.

Prosecutors say the delays were reasonable given the complexity of the case and the volume of classified material involved.

Also expected is an updated plea offer from Manning, who would plead guilty to several lesser offenses with reduced sentencing. The most serious charges currently facing Manning include aiding the enemy, which carries a sentence of life in prison without parole.

The hearing to allow Manning to plea to lesser charges in his case resumes Tuesday in Fort Meade, Md.

Right now, Manning's trial is scheduled to begin June 3.