Judge Overturns Bowe Bergdahl's Conviction and Discharge

A federal judge has vacated the conviction and sentence of Bowe Bergdahl, the former Army sergeant who walked off a base in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held captive by the Taliban for five years. The judge ruled that the military judge in the case had applied for a job with the Trump-era Justice Department, raising concerns of bias. The ruling could lead to a second trial before a new judge. Bergdahl had pleaded guilty to desertion and endangering American troops. The defense argued that comments made by President Trump amounted to unlawful command influence, but the judge did not find sufficient grounds to dismiss the case entirely.