On Decemeber 16th, PFC Bradley Manning will have his first appearance before a court after 17 months in confinement.  Manning is accused of giving classified materials about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to WikiLeaks,

The primary purpose of the Article 32 hearing is “to evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of the government’s case as well as to provide the defense with an opportunity to obtain pretrial discovery,” attorney David E. Coombs wrote Monday on his website.

The defense may call witnesses and cross-examine the government’s witnesses, Coombs wrote. Witnesses are placed under oath, and their testimony may be used during a trial.

In a blog post this morning, Manning’s lead counsel, David Coombs, notified supporters that the pretrial phase is scheduled to last five days.”