Bowe Bergdahl due back in court for a pretrial hearing

Ted Richardson / AP

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl arrives Jan. 12, 2016, for a pretrial hearing at Fort Bragg, N.C. Bergdahl, a former prisoner of war accused of endangering his U.S. comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan, is asking President Barack Obama to pardon him before leaving office. White House and Justice Department officials say Bergdahl submitted the clemency request. If granted, it would allow Bergdahl to avert a court-martial trial scheduled for April. He faces charges carrying a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Associated Press

Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 | 1:02 a.m.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on accusations that he endangered fellow service members by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

The Friday hearing will likely include further arguments on whether prosecutors should be allowed to admit evidence of injuries to service members who searched for Bergdahl.

The judge has also threatened to require testimony from government officials about the pace at which the defense is receiving classified evidence.

Bergdahl, who's from Hailey, Idaho, faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the latter of which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. He was held captive for five years by the Taliban and its allies after he walked off his post.

His military trial is scheduled for April 2017.