Pfc. Lynndie England Pleads Guilty To Abuse Charges

U.S. Army Pfc. Lynndie England pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy, four counts of abusing detainees and one count of committing an indecent act, during a morning pre-trial hearing at Fort Hood, Texas. She pleaded not guilty to two other counts against her: dereliction of duty and committing an indecent act. The latter charge involves Pvt. Charles Graner Jr., who is believed to be the father of her infant son. Graner was convicted in January in the Abu Ghraib scandal and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. England is expected to ask a jury to decide her punishment, apparently in hopes of a more lenient sentence than the one contained in her plea bargain, the spokesman said. Under an agreement reported before her plea, the 22-year-old reservist from rural West Virginia could face a maximum prison term of 11 years, instead of more than 16 years, after pleading guilty to seven of the nine counts against her.Lynndie England arrives for a court hearing at Fort Hood.