U.S. official: Military, Bales' attorneys in discussions on sanity hearing
Source: CNN
U.S. military officials and defense attorneys for Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, charged with murdering 17 Afghans this month, are in discussions about a "sanity board" that would examine Bales' mental state, a U.S. official told CNN Friday.
Bales' attorneys were told that convening such a board is likely, the official said. No decision had been reached on whether Bales would be examined at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he is now being held, or would be brought to Washington, D.C., the official said.
Under the sanity board process, the military command would direct a board of officers to conduct a sanity investigation and hearing into Bales' mental state at the time of the alleged offenses and whether he's competent to stand trial, military lawyer and retired U.S. Navy judge advocate Phil Cave told CNN in a recent interview.
Meanwhile, the office of Bales' attorney, John Henry Browne, issued a statement Friday on behalf of the defense team accusing the U.S. government of blocking its access to information and witnesses.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/30/justice/afghanistan-bales/index.html