ASSIGNMENT | Daniel Ellsberg/ pentagon papers

Read about the Daniel Ellsberg/ Pentagon Papers case

Consider the laws and rules involved in the case and take a position on whether they are clear, necessary, and reasonable. Identify the relevant statutes and/or regulations with formal legal citations as well as popular names.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Daniel Ellsberg/ pentagon papers

Daniel Ellsberg was charged under Espionage Act of 1977 for theft and conspiracy. He was sentenced to a maximum of 115 years one of the longest sentences ever given by a court. Daniel Ellsberg was later dismissed of all the charges in May 11, 1973 after a Harvard Law Scholl professor Charles Nesson, Judge William Matthew Byrne Jr discovered massive governmental misconduct and illegal evidence gathered against Ellsberg (Ellsberg, 2014). He was later awarded the right Livelihood award after being deemed as a key figure in the decision theory. Before the Supreme Court had made its ruling, there were speculations that the federal judge had ruled incorrectly about the New Yolk’s right to print the pentagon papers. Ellsberg claimed that he was denied an opportunity to speak and present his arguments before the judge. His lawyer argued that the decision of the judge to deny someone from speaking was a violation of justice and there is no way the person could be convicted for something he has not even explained. Generally, the process and rules that were used to convict him were not clear and did not meet the necessary codes of judicial practice (Brodsky & Gutheil, 2016). The statues that were used to convict Ellsberg were obtained from Espionage Act of 1917. It was a law established to prohibit the interference of military operations or recruitment. The law also sought to ensures that no one supported the enemies of United States during crisis. Ellsberg was accused of related cases which the federal..