The case of Army Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl deserves the attention it’s getting, but it’s important that some basics be kept in mind as the national discussion crests.
First, regardless of what you think he may have done, Bergdahl is entitled to be presumed innocent. It is easy to lose sight of this in the middle of a media frenzy. Given the public vilification of Bergdahl, the danger is that the tidal wave of news coverage may make it a real challenge to empanel a court-martial—should matters wind up going in that direction—whose members can truthfully say that they have not prejudged the matter.
