Story highlights Defense must notify trial counsel if it intends to disclose classified info, panel rules

Bowe Bergdahl's latest court victory means he will have access to classified documents

Sergeant's court-martial put on hold in February until an appeals court could resolve dispute

(CNN) The defense team for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, has won access to hundreds of thousands of pages of classified information.

In a Thursday ruling, the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals denied an appeal made by the prosecution regarding access to classified information.

The court did not agree that the defense must obtain what is known as an Original Classification Authority approval before it can access information the government deems classified.

(The footnotes of the ruling define Original Classification Authority as "an individual authorized in writing, either by the president, the vice president, or by agency heads or other officials designated by the president, to classify information in the first instance.")

"Once defense counsel seek access to classified information, it is incumbent on the government to ensure that any access to classified information is provided in accordance with applicable law," the three-judge panel wrote. "In addition, defense counsel must provide trial counsel notice any time they seek to disclose any classified information to which they gain access."

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