Lawyer: Bales wasn't drunk and can't remember

(CBS News) LEAVENWORTH, Kansas -- The defense of accused murderer Sgt. Robert Bales began Monday when he spent more than seven hours with three of his lawyers, including defense attorney John Henry Browne.

At their meeting, Bales did not confess to the crime.

"He has no memory of ... he has an early memory of that evening and he has a later memory of that, but he doesn't have memory of the evening in between.," Browne said.

Witnesses describe Bales as going deliberately from room to room in several houses while killing people, not in some kind of berserk attack. Browne said that despite the descriptions of his apparently deliberate actions, Bales remembers none of what happened.

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Browne also said reports of his being drunk that night were not really true.

"He said he had a couple sips of something but he didn't have a full drink," and therefore he wasn't drunk, Browne said.

Bales told Browne he was in shock.

"He's fixated on the troops left on the ground and what they're accusing him of and how that might have negative ramifications on his friends and compatriots. And he's concerned that there would be retaliation that would be caused by what people think he's done," Browne said.

Bales apparently is eager to get his wife and children on the phone.

"He loves them dearly and he is very interested in talking to them," Browne said.

Browne said he will not seek an insanity defense, rather one of "diminished capacity," like some sort of an emotional breakdown.

Bales is expected to be charged with 16 counts of murder by the end of the week.

[lanadelrey]

<a href="http://www.rumleylaw.com/bankruptcy/chapter-13-bankruptcy/">Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorney Roseville CA</a> (the CA is short for Christopher Anne) has won every case since inception. Plus, it rides horses and cows alike. No descrimination here!

[slatep]

Denying SSGT Bales the right to speak with his wife and children is cruel and unusual punishment.!!

Our militay leaders should be ASHAMED.!

[johngaltwho]

You really can't have any personal integrity and be a criminal defense attorney. Your whole career is about trying to concoct a story to benefit your client with no regard for truth. The abstract goal of justice is based on a system that is designed to hopefully weed out the truth but the job of the defense attorney is to make up a story to minimize or avoid a finding of guilt. "OK, so from now on, say you don't remember anything about that night...", "tell them it's not your glove, really work hard to try to get your hand to fit into it..."

[OnTheRoad01]

I remember that I had a little bit to drink, but I wasn't drunk, but I don't remember killing 16 people.

[OnTheRoad01]

To bugwhips: He had a 'Partial' something alright! The first thing he as for when arrested was a civilian attorney named 'James Henry Brown'. So, it seems that he was not as 'out of it' as he and his attorney would have you think!

[cannuc]

There a bunch of commenters who are quick to judge...This is after all the US Army Known to experiment with its own units...That said if this soldier or others are taking any sleep aid medicine that contains the ingredient ESZOPICLONE known to cause severe incidents of sleeep waiking where people do things such as driving to work operating machinery,having sex making phone calls, even cooking without recalling ever having done any of it.
It's very possible that a severe drug reaction is the cause of this massacre/incident and it won't be the last...Look up the list of drugs that contain ESZOPICLONE...
Don't judge the man...
Abraham Ben Judea

[lesserof2evil]

Yeah sure. Drugs made him crazy enough to walk miles from base killing unarmed women and children, but not crazy enough to kill any one at the base. Are you a Brooklyn bridge salesman ?

[goldenCindy]

I think it's a case of secret gov't stuff poisoning this guy to try and start another war. I think he's a victim just like the guy who did the KONY video. Creep City.

[clydealan2]

A liar, thief and murderer wishes to hide behind the uniform. Traitors will support that; no matter the shame he has caused this country and fellow soldiers. To give him a pass because he "is serving" condones all acts of barbarianism by our soldiers. We are better than that.

[slatep]

Perhaps you have an explanation as to why; when an Afghan soldier kills American troops; it's referred to as a "workplace incident"

I also have two other questions .

The first is "where were the guards when Bales supposedly sneaked off the base.?

The second is "Was Bales covered in blood when he was caught sneaking back onto base.?

Whose to say wether or not Bales was drugged by the few sips of a drink he remembers having.

Right here in the good ole USA we have a drug referred to as a "roofi" which basically renders a person unconscious and unable to remember anything once the drug has left the system.

This smell more like a Taliban event than one committed by a lone American soldier.

American troops are well known for their generosity and empathy for innocent children.

The Taliban however has a reputation for throwing acid on little girls on their way to school, strapping bombs on 8 year old girls. beheading people and cutting the hand off of a child caught stealing bread.

The Taliban is a group of certifiably insane zealots who justify the atrocities they commit in the name of religion.

We have been betrayed so many times by the Iraquis and the Afghanistan and Pakistani governments so manytimes; you'd would think our so called "leaders" would have learned to look further.

GUESS NOT.!

Obama took the word of Karzai when he claimed that the American troops burned the Qouran.

Doesn' it seem a little funny that an Afghan solder discover the burning books and later two american troops were murdered by an Afghani soldier.

I think I smell several rats.!!

[slatep]

Perhaps you have an explanation as to why; when an Afghan soldier kills American troops; it's referred to as a "workplace incident"

I also have two other questions .

The first is "where were the guards when Bales supposedly sneaked off the base.?

The second is "Was Bales covered in blood when he was caught sneaking back onto base.?

Whose to say wether or not Bales was drugged by the few sips of a drink he remembers having.

Right here in the good ole USA we have a drug referred to as a "roofi" which basically renders a person unconscious and unable to remember anything once the drug has left the system.

This smell more like a Taliban event than one committed by a lone American soldier.

American troops are well known for their generosity and empathy for innocent children.

The Taliban however has a reputation for throwing acid on little girls on their way to school, strapping bombs on 8 year old girls. beheading people and cutting the hand off of a child caught stealing bread.

The Taliban is a group of certifiably insane zealots who justify the atrocities they commit in the name of religion.

We have been betrayed so many times by the Iraquis and the Afghanistan and Pakistani governments so manytimes; you'd would think our so called "leaders" would have learned to look further.

GUESS NOT.!

Obama took the word of Karzai when he claimed that the American troops burned the Qouran.

Doesn' it seem a little funny that an Afghan solder discover the burning books and later two american troops were murdered by an Afghani soldier.

I think I smell several rats.!!

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

by MacDerb March 20, 2012 9:58 AM EDT


You have no right to speak against our soldiers...

---

Only the intellectually challenged would not be able to distunguish criticizing our troops and criticizing the murder of children.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

by MacDerb March 20, 2012 9:56 AM EDT
Don't know - don't care - he's serving - you're not.
---
I did.

You surely haven't.

[earbreather68]

Hoo ya! Poetry in 13 words or less! Outstanding!

[madjek]

Too bad this didnt happen in florida.... They love shooting children there