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Attorney Bruce Afran Updates Appeal Setback on NDAA Detention Law; Reporter Kevin Gozstola Recaps End of Bradley Manning Trial; Gary Chew Reviews “Fruitvale Station”

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Bruce Afran, co-counsel for Hedges, etal in challenge to NDAA detention law, reports on appeals court ruling that reinstated it;  Kevin Gozstola of FireDogLake recaps the end of the Manning trial;  Gary Chew reviews the new film Fruitvale Station. Click here for GoDaddy deal that benefits the PBC podcast.

Afran and Carl Mayer represent journalist Chris Hedges, activist Dan Ellsberg and others in the lawsuit to prevent enforcement of the detention clause of the 2012 Defense spending bill, or NDAA.  They won an injunction in lower court, but an aggressive appeal by Obama’s lawyers resulted in an appeals court decision that reinstated the law.  We discuss the opinion, which does not challenge the facts or law from the trial, just the issue of standing.  Afran explains the real fear of enforcement on his clients, as well as the fallacy that a suspect held under the law could challenge it in court successfully, citing several examples.  He says they will be appealing, and also comments about the Snowden revelations, which seem to confer standing on millions of people to challenge the domestic surveillance programs.

At 34:35, Kevin Gozstola of FireDogLake recaps the final stage of the court martial trial of Bradley Manning.  We open with today’s close of the trial, and Judge Denise Lind’s plan for deliberation.  Gozstola comments on the closing arguments from the prosecution, which were thickly layered with attacks on Manning, his patriotism, and an alleged desire for fame; prosecutors also labeled Manning a “traitor” for the first time.  Then we hear about the defense’s closing arguments, and a rebuttal from the prosecution.  We will update again when a verdict is announced, and continue to cover the important sentencing phase.

Pretty near 1:02, Gary Chew zips in with an eloquent review of the new film Fruitvale Station, about the 2009 killing of Oscar Grant by a BART cop in Oakland.