DC District Court weighs habeas challenge from Bagram detainees

07/17/12: The Blog of Legal Times reports a federal judge in Washington is assessing for a second time whether detainees at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan should have access to US courts to contest their continued military imprisonment.  The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in May 2010 overturned US District Judge John Bates’ earlier ruling against the US Justice Department.  Judge Bates had ruled in favor of extending habeas corpus rights to Bagram detainees.  With the Bagram dispute back in the trial court on remand from the Court of Appeals, Bates is assessing the government’s motion to dismiss the legal action.