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Article snippet: FORT BRAGG, N.C. — At his first major court hearing two years ago, it seemed that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl had caught a break: the Pentagon’s hostage debriefer, Terrence Russell, testified that the sergeant had “done the best job he could do” during the five years he was held by the Taliban, resisting his captors and attempting escape despite suffering the worst prisoner-of-war abuse since Vietnam. The military’s own investigator rejected widespread claims that soldiers had died while searching for the sergeant, and recommended against punishing him with any jail time. But Sergeant Bergdahl is now facing up to life in prison. A week ago, he appeared here at Fort Bragg and essentially capitulated, pleading guilty to all charges. On Monday, he returned to the courtroom in a final attempt to have the case dismissed. His sentencing hearing is set to begin on Wednesday. How did his legal fortunes turn so drastically? Many things have been at play. The sergeant’s own statements to investigators went a long way toward proving the charges. The defense team lost on some crucial motions, including one in which the judge ruled that service members had been wounded during the search. And politics have dogged the case, with defense lawyers arguing that their client cannot get a fair trial because Donald J. Trump repeatedly called Sergeant Bergdahl a traitor during the presidential election last year. By taking full responsibility for the actions he is accused of, legal experts say,... Link to the full article to read more