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Author Topic: Shooting at Ft. Hood Texas 11/05/09 13 dead, 43 wounded-(Murder Charges)  (Read 730107 times)
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« Reply #1380 on: June 04, 2013, 06:21:11 PM »

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/no-decision-yet-on-hasans-request-to-delay-trial
Hasan says he was protecting Taliban by shooting GIs
Fort Hood jury selection could start Monda
y
Updated: Tuesday, 04 Jun 2013, 3:06 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 04 Jun 2013, 11:20 AM CDT

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« Reply #1381 on: June 04, 2013, 06:39:50 PM »

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Hearing-Recessed-So-Accused-Fort-Hood-Gunman-Can-Gather-Thoughts-210089461.html
Hearing On Hold So Accused Post Gunman Can Gather Thoughts
June 4, 2013

FORT HOOD (June 4, 2013)--The military judge overseeing a pretrial hearing for accused Fort Hood gunman Army Maj. Nidal Hasan asked the defendant directly Tuesday morning how he planned to support his "third party" defense and then recessed the proceeding until noon Wednesday so Hasan could “gather his thoughts.”

Judge Col. Tara Osborn told Hasan he has 24 hours to come up with a legal basis to support his argument that because U.S. troops are in Afghanistan and are targeting Taliban leaders, they intend to harm the leaders.

Selection of the panel that will hear the case was to have started Wednesday, but Osborn told the prosecution to advise potential panel members to arrive no earlier than 1 p.m. next Monday.

Hasan was granted permission Monday to represent himself in his pending trial and said he planned to support his defense by proving he acted to protect others on Nov. 5, 2009, when he killed 13 and wounded 32 others.

Tuesday morning Osborn asked him directly just whom he was protecting.

"Islamic Emirates leadership of Afghanistan, the Taliban, Mullah Omar is their leader,” Hasan replied.

Osborn then asked what direction he expected his defense to take, to which Hasan replied he hadn't considered that and said he needed a recess to "gather his thoughts."

Osborn ruled Monday that Hasan could act as his own lawyer, but kept three military defense lawyers Monday that Hasan could act as his own lawyer, but kept three military defense lawyers close by to help if Hasan needs it.

The judge gathered about 30 pretrial motions filed Tuesday and began considering them before she took the bench.

She had just begun consideration of Hasan's motion for a three-month delay in the start of his court-martial when she called the recess.

Osborn ruled Monday to allow Hasan to defend himself after she heard testimony from Army doctor Maj. Trasad Lakhminarasimhiah, who examined Hasan and testified he found Hasan could sit upright for up to four hours, but then after that, he would need at least a 15 to 20 minute stretch break.

The doctor testified Hasan could handle as many as three of the four-hour sessions during the course of a day.

Hasan has been in a wheelchair since he was left paralyzed in a exchange of gunfire with post police officers.

Hasan told the judge if he is able to represent himself he wants one of his attorneys removed entirely but would allow the other two to remain on stand-by in the event he needed counsel.

All three attorneys will be on standby with two at the defense table and one to observe from the spectator galley.

The court also addressed other protocols involved in Hasan's self-representation, including how he will cross-examine witnesses.

Osborn ordered that the Army provide Hasan with a computer and printer, to be set up in the defense offices in the courthouse, so Hasan can complete research into the trial.

Osborn told Hasan he had a lot of "homework" to do before the Tuesday hearing resumed, including his preparation of the formal motion for continuance, a list of questions he might ask prospective jury panel members and a request for another doctor's examination before trial.

Also the judge said prosecutors have assembled a group of 52 prospective panel members, 18 of which were coming from outside the area.

Osborn said all of those panel members should be available for selection beginning Monday.

Initially the selection process was set for tomorrow, but that has now been pushed off until next week.
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« Reply #1382 on: June 04, 2013, 06:41:02 PM »

While Hasan is "gathering his thoughts", perhaps he'll also gather a conscience, but I won't hold my breath.   
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« Reply #1383 on: June 05, 2013, 05:14:13 PM »

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/army-judge-expected-to-rule-on-fort-hood-shooting-suspects-request-for-3-month-trial-delay/2013/06/05/ae2fd428-cdaf-11e2-8573-3baeea6a2647_story.html
Fort Hood shooting suspect can appeal if defense strategy rejected; judge stalls ruling
June 5, 2013

FORT HOOD, Texas — The military judge overseeing the trial of an Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage may not allow him to claim that he killed to defend Taliban leaders, military experts said Wednesday. And such a decision could lead to even more delays in a case that’s already dragged on for years.

Maj. Nidal Hasan revealed this week that he would use a “defense of others” strategy at his trial. Such a strategy requires him to prove the shootings were necessary to protect others from imminent harm or death. Hasan told the judge that U.S. troops deploying from the Texas Army post posed an immediate danger to Taliban fighters.

The judge, Col. Tara Osborn, is to discuss Tuesday whether Hasan has the evidence to use the “defense of others” claim and rule if Hasan will get a three-month delay to prepare for that defense.

However, Jeff Addicott, director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, said it’s unlikely that Hasan will have the legal elements needed to move forward with the strategy, so Osborn will likely not allow it.

Lisa M. Windsor, a retired Army colonel and former judge advocate, said the judge may allow it but tell jurors to disregard Hasan’s argument, because “it doesn’t have to be a good defense. It has to be a plausible defense.”

It’s unclear when jury selection will begin. It had been scheduled to start this week, with testimony starting in early July.
 
Hasan can appeal if Osborn denies his defense strategy, said Addicott, who is not involved in Hasan’s case. If he chooses not to appeal, Hasan could forego a defense theory and just try to make the government prove its case and try to cause reasonable doubt for at least one juror, Addicott said. Death-penalty cases in the military require at least 12 jury members and their verdict must be unanimous in finding guilt or assessing a sentence.

Earlier this week, Osborn granted Hasan’s request to represent himself but said his defense attorneys would remain on the case to assist if he asks. A jail rule prevents him from having Internet access, even when he does research at Fort Hood, the judge said.

Lt. Col. Kris Poppe told the judge Wednesday that she was asking him to “cross a line” by ordering the defense attorneys to comply with Hasan’s research requests, which were sealed and not revealed in court. Poppe said a “standby” attorney’s role was not to give advice or judgment. Osborn was to rule on the matter next week.
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alert4jsw
4:03 PM CDT
Wow, our military might be a threat to the Taliban? Well, I certainly, fer cryin' out loud, hope so! What did he think we were sending troops over there for -- to play checkers with them? It would really be pretty pathetic is our military wasn't seen as a threat.

The question is how did someone in our Army reach the rank of Major without understanding that the entire purpose of the army is to be a "threat" to our declared enemies?
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« Reply #1384 on: June 05, 2013, 05:21:39 PM »

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/06/nidal-hasan-admitted-jihadist-motive-ft-hood-victims-attorneys-say/?google_editors_picks=true
Nidal Hasan Admitted Jihadist Motive, Ft. Hood Victims’ Attorneys Say
June 5, 2013

Attorneys for the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre said that the alleged shooter’s admission this week that he gunned down his countrymen to defend the Taliban proves that the assault was a terrorist attack and not, as the government has implied, “workplace violence.”
Accused gunman Maj. Nidal Hasan announced the revelation Tuesday as he asked the court for a delay in his trial so he could prepare a new “in defense of others” legal strategy.
When Judge Col. Tara Osborn asked specifically who he was defending, Hasan said, “The leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban” and its leader Mullah Omar, according to an account by The New York Times.
Thirteen people were killed and another 32 were injured when Hasan allegedly opened fire on his fellow soldiers at the Texas Army facility in November 2009. Hasan said Tuesday the troops were about to deploy to Afghanistan where they would pose an immediate danger to the Taliban.
Prior to Tuesday’s admission, and despite evidence showing Hasan had been in communication with high-profile al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, survivors of the tragedy said they have been denied Purple Hearts and certain combat-related medical benefits because the government refuses to classify the shooting as a terrorist act. Instead, several government documents that discuss the attack refer to efforts to combat “workplace violence.”
The Defense Department has maintained that there is not sufficient evidence to prove the incident was a terrorist attack and has expressed concern that a premature designation would interfere with Hasan’s ability to receive a fair trial.
“However, now the government’s ‘workplace violence’ lie has been fully exposed,” said Neal Sher and Reed Rubinstein, legal representatives for the Fort Hood victims and their families. “By his own admission, Hasan was a jihadist who killed innocent Americans to defend the Taliban.”
“We call on the Army to… admit that the Fort Hood attack was terrorism; and finally provide the Fort Hood victims, survivors and families with all available combat-related benefits, decorations and recognition,” they said.

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« Reply #1385 on: June 09, 2013, 05:31:59 PM »

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/texas/article/Fort-Hood-suspect-s-paralysis-could-slow-trial-4589911.php
Fort Hood suspect's paralysis could slow trial
June 9, 2013

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The paralysis-related health problems of the Army psychologist charged with carrying out the deadly attack on Fort Hood could significantly slow the pace of his upcoming court-martial, including delays for stretch breaks and fewer daily hours for testimony.

Maj. Nidal Hasan was left paralyzed from the abdomen down when police shot him during the Nov. 5, 2009, attack on the Texas Army post that left 13 people dead and nearly three dozen wounded. If convicted, he faces execution or life in prison.

Jury selection was to begin last week, with testimony set to start in early July. But everything was pushed back again last week, at least briefly, during a hearing in which the Army judge, Col. Tara Osborn, granted Hasan's request to represent himself. Before she did, she warned him that doing so would be "a far more physically taxing enterprise than you can imagine."

She's expected to rule Tuesday on his request for a three-month delay.

While Hasan can maneuver his wheelchair, his doctor said Hasan cannot sit upright more than 12 hours a day without his concentration being affected. Inmates at Hasan's jail must wake up before dawn, so daily testimony would have to conclude by 5 p.m. at the latest, Dr. Prasad Lakshminarasimhiah told the judge last week.

A court-martial already has the potential to take longer because military jurors are allowed to submit questions to witnesses after they have testified, so many judges allow testimony to continue until late at night, if witnesses and the jury want to keep going. But that would not be possible at Hasan's trial.

To avoid muscle spasms, Hasan also must have 15- to 20-minute breaks for stretching every four hours. To avoid developing sores, he also must relieve pressure by lifting himself off his wheelchair for about a minute every half hour.

It's unclear if the breaks for stretching and meals could be taken at the same time, and Fort Hood officials have not said if the trial's daily schedule will be set with Hasan's medical issues in mind.

Hasan, who uses a catheter and adult diapers, refuses to take medication that would help regulate his digestive system, and he must eat at the same time each day to avoid accidents, Lakshminarasimhiah said. The jail serves breakfast at about 4:30 a.m., lunch about 10:30 a.m. and dinner at about 4:30 p.m., but the American-born Muslim told the judge that he fasts frequently and misses a meal on those days.

Hasan is housed in the nearby Bell County Jail, which has a contract with Fort Hood to hold all of its defendants because the Army post does not have holding facilities.
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« Reply #1386 on: June 11, 2013, 08:03:37 AM »

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/state&id=9134453
Judge to rule on Fort Hood suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan's defense
June 11, 2013

FORT HOOD, TX -- A judge is expected to decide whether an Army psychiatrist can tell jurors he shot U.S. troops at Fort Hood to protect Taliban leaders in Afghanistan.
Maj. Nidal Hasan has said he wants to use a "defense of others" strategy at his upcoming military trial. He'd have to prove the shootings were necessary to prevent the immediate harm or death of others.

The judge, Col. Tara Osborn, last week told Hasan to file a motion showing the legal basis for that defense and any evidence.
 
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« Reply #1387 on: June 11, 2013, 08:13:09 PM »

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local-military/judge-to-decide-today-on-delay-in-hasan-court-mart/nYHjW/
No decision on Hasan court-martial delay
June 11, 2013

FORT HOOD — Update 2:20 p.m.: No decision was made Tuesday in a hearing to delay the court-martial of Maj. Nidal Hasan because of a growing rift between the accused Fort Hood shooter and his defense attorneys.
Lt. Col. Kris Poppe and other attorneys threatened to withdraw from the case if they are forced to help Hasan assemble his “defense of others” strategy, Poppe told the military judge overseeing the court-martial.
Poppe told the judge, Col. Tara Osborn, that he couldn’t give his reason in open court. Osborn gave Poppe until noon Wednesday to submit a written motion, though she did not schedule the next hearing.
Osborn was expected to decide Tuesday whether to grant Hasan a three-month delay so he can prepare his controversial defense strategy, in which he would argue he shot U.S. soldiers to protect the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan
Osborn also could’ve ruled on that strategy Tuesday.
Hasan told Osborn that he believes the reason for the impasse is that defense attorneys “don’t believe I should go forward with the defense of thirds.”
Jury selection was supposed to start May 29 but has been postponed several times after Hasan asked to represent himself in court and dismiss his military attorneys.
 
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« Reply #1388 on: June 11, 2013, 08:18:02 PM »

http://www.kwtx.com/ourtown/home/headlines/Fort-Hood--Gunmans-Former-Attorneys-Balk-Raise-Ethical-Concerns-211062151.html
Fort Hood: Gunman’s Former Attorneys Balk, Raise Ethical Concerns
June 11, 2013

FORT HOOD (June 11, 2013)—Military judge Col. Tara Osborn Tuesday gave the attorneys who represented Fort Hood gunman Maj. Nidal Hasan until Hasan decided to represent himself 24 hours to file motions in support of their argument that they’ve been asked to cross ethical lines in the standby role they’ve been ordered to play.

The motions must be submitted no later than noon Wednesday.

Hasan’s court-martial remains on hold.

Decisions about his request for a delay and on his defense strategy to argue that he shot U.S. troops at Fort Hood to protect Taliban leaders in Afghanistan are still pending.
 
Video at Link
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« Reply #1389 on: June 13, 2013, 03:09:34 PM »

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/judge-sets-another-hearing-in-hasan-court-martial/nYKZd/
Judge sets another hearing in Hasan court-martial
June 13, 2013
The military judge overseeing the court-martial of Maj. Nidal Hasan set another pretrial hearing in the case for 1 p.m. Friday, Fort Hood officials said.
“The trial judge, Col. Tara Osborn, is expected to announce rulings from matters litigated at past hearings,” officials said in a statement.
Osborn was supposed to rule Tuesday on the accused Fort Hood shooter’s request for a three-month delay and perhaps set a new start date for the court-martial, which was scheduled to begin May 29.
But Hasan’s lawyers on Tuesday threatened to quit if Osborn helped him assemble a controversial defense strategy, which Hasan has said consists of arguing that he was protecting the Afghan Taliban from danger by killing American soldiers about to deploy there.
Osborn gave them until noon Wednesday to submit a written, sealed motion as to why it would be unethical for them to help Hasan with his defense.
 

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« Reply #1390 on: June 14, 2013, 07:00:53 PM »

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-fort-hood-defense-rejected-20130614,0,2164795.story
Judge rejects accused Ft. Hood shooter's new defense strategy
June 14, 2013

HOUSTON -- A military judge on Friday rejected a new defense strategy by accused Ft, Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.

The judge, Col. Tara Osborn, said during an afternoon hearing at the Army base that she would not allow Hasan to argue that he shot Ft. Hood soldiers to protect Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, as he had proposed.

Hasan, 42, an American-born Muslim, is charged with premeditated murder and attempted murder in connection with the deaths of 13 people and wounding of 32 others in the attack on Nov. 5, 2009. If convicted, he faces a possible death sentence

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, proposed his new defense after successfully petitioning the judge to allow him to defend himself, saying he attacked soldiers preparing to deploy to Afghanistan in 2009 because they posed a threat to Taliban leaders. His previous efforts to plead guilty were rejected on the grounds that military law does not allow such pleas in capital cases.

Osborn said Hasan's "defense of others" strategy “failed as a matter of law,” according to a Ft. Hood statement, since no soldiers at the Central Texas base posed an immediate threat to anyone in Afghanistan.s

“She ruled that as a uniformed soldier in the U.S. Army, Hasan had no justification to kill other U.S. soldiers,” the statement said, and ”that she will not allow Hasan to present any evidence or argument relating to the defense of others.”
 
On Friday, Osborn ordered Hasan’s standby counsel to submit briefs outlining their role by Monday so that she can issue a written order.

Military legal experts said the judge would have to hold the line against Hasan’s proposed defense, refusing to instruct the jury about it and stopping him if he tried to present it.

“The problem is if he starts to argue the defense, what is the judge going to do then? He’s essentially confessing to everything in a way that makes the [jury] even angrier. I don’t know how the judge is going to stop the argument,” said Richard Rosen, a retired colonel and professor of law at Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock.

Rosen noted that if Hasan is found guilty, he has a right to make a statement and “he can say whatever he wants to say. So ultimately, he may try to get the defense in.”
Rosen agreed with Osborn that the defense of others argument is legally unfounded in Hasan's case and will only hurt his chances with the jury panel of his peers -- many of whom will probably be officers who may have served in Afghanistan.

“It’s just going to make matters worse,” Rosen said. “If he says he was doing this to defend the Taliban, it will only inflame the panel.”

But that could be exactly what Hasan wants, he said.

“It may be that he wants to be a martyr,” Rosen said, “that will certainly speed him on his way.”

Rosen said Osborn has done what she can to protect Hasan’s rights and prevent a reversal on appeal, but now that Hasan has decided to defend himself, it’s time to go to trial.

“He’s had 3½ years working with various counsel to prepare a defense,” Rosen said, “This thing needs to get off the ground.”

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Tuesday.

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« Reply #1391 on: June 14, 2013, 07:11:23 PM »

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/14/nidal-hasan-fort-hood-trial-held-up_n_3441075.html
Nidal Hasan Fort Hood Trial: Judge Expected To Rule On Defense Hold Up
June 14, 2013

FORT HOOD, Texas — A uniformed Army psychiatrist had no justification for gunning down U.S. troops and won't be allowed to tell jurors that he was protecting Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, a military judge ruled Friday, appearing to clear the way for the Fort Hood murder trial to begin.

Maj. Nidal Hasan's "defense of others" strategy fails as a matter of law, Col. Tara Osborn said during a 45-minute hearing. That strategy must show that a killing was necessary to prevent the immediate harm or death of others.

Osborn said no soldiers at the Texas Army post on Nov. 5, 2009, posed an imminent threat to anyone in Afghanistan and that the legitimacy of the Afghanistan war is not an issue at Hasan's court-martial. She also ordered that Hasan not present any evidence or arguments about his claims that deploying U.S. troops posed an immediate threat to Taliban fighters.

Hasan, an American-born Muslim, faces the death penalty or life without parole if convicted in the rampage that left 13 dead and nearly three dozen wounded.

He asked for a three-month trial delay to prepare for his defense after his request to serve as his own attorney was granted last week. But that delay seems unlikely since Osborn rejected his defense strategy; she has not ruled on his request.

Hasan can appeal Friday's strategy ruling, but an appellate court likely would not hear the case until the trial is over, said Jeff Addicott, director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University in San Antonio.

It's unclear if Hasan will present another strategy. All defense strategies must be approved by a judge in order to determine if they meet certain legal standards.

He might forego a defense theory, instead having the government prove its case and hope it causes reasonable doubt for at least one juror, Addicott said. Death penalty cases in the military require the jury's verdict be unanimous in finding guilt or assessing a sentence.

Osborn also said last week that Hasan would represent himself unless he changed his mind or disobeyed the court's orders and trial rules. Hasan's former defense attorneys have been ordered to assist him if he asks.

The next hearing is Tuesday, and along with ruling on the delay request, Osborn is expected to address the defense attorneys' new motions about their role as standby attorneys.
Earlier this week, the lawyers said complying with the judge's order to fully assist Hasan would require them to act unethically. Hasan said they refused to give him legal advice about his defense strategy because they opposed it. The lawyers indicated they may withdraw from the case, which may change due to Osborn's decision Friday.

Jury selection was set to begin two weeks ago, and then was tentatively moved to last week. It's been on hold as various matters remain unresolved.
 
In some emails to a radical Muslim cleric, Hasan indicated that he supported terrorists and was intrigued with the idea of U.S. soldiers killing comrades in the name of Islam.

Not everyone killed at the Army post was about to deploy to Afghanistan or elsewhere. Pvt. Francheska Velez, who was pregnant, had just returned from Iraq. Michael Grant Cahill, who tried to stop the gunman with a chair, was a physician assistant who worked in the building.
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« Reply #1392 on: June 18, 2013, 10:14:43 PM »

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Accused-Fort-Hood-shooter-212020901.html
Trial for accused Fort Hood shooter set to begin Aug. 6
June 18, 2013

FORT HOOD -– After weeks of delays, a U.S. Army judge scheduled jury selection in Maj. Nidal Hasan’s criminal trial to begin on July 9, and opening statements to start no earlier than August 6.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the judge, Col. Tara Osborn, denied Maj. Hasan’s request for a three-month delay.

Last week, she ordered him to develop a new defense strategy, refusing to let Hasan argue that he opened fire on unarmed soldiers in Texas in 2009 to protect Taliban leaders.

Jury selection will take four weeks, the judge said.

Despite the denial, the accused mass murderer suggested he was ready to move forward, though what kind of defense he will present remains uncertain.

“I am prepared to give you some additional time,” Col. Osborn said.

“I will take what the court offers,” Hasan replied. “My whole reasoning was to prepare for the defense of others.”

“Are you asking for a continuance for any amount of time?,” Osborn continued.

“I’m withdrawing my request,” Hasan told her.

Col. Osborn also addressed the growing security measures in place outside the small courthouse on the eastern edge of the Army post.

“I am not aware of any specific threat to any individual,” the judge said, “but this is a capital murder trial. Emotions run high. The location of the courthouse is on the corner of Fort Hood. Common sense would dictate you exercise caution and take security measures.”

She also clarified the role of Hasan’s military-appointed defense team.

Col. Osborn said the three Army attorneys will remain with Hasan at trial because of the complexity of the case and the possibility that the accused no longer wants to represent himself.

 
Hasan said he wants to remain his own attorney, even though he cannot present the defense of others. The judge told him he will not be able to appeal on grounds that his own defense was ineffective.
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« Reply #1393 on: June 18, 2013, 10:23:40 PM »

Let's get on with it.  The delays have placed unnecessary heartache, burdens and hardship on the victims and their families and friends.  It's time for Major Nidal Hasan to face his crimes and receive his punishment.  It's time for justice for the victims and their families.  I hope the court doe not all him the opportunity to use his trial as a platform for jihadist hate speech.  He's trying for martyr status.   
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« Reply #1394 on: June 19, 2013, 04:13:56 PM »

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/judge-denies-trial-delay-for-hasan
Jury selection set for Hasan trial
Decision comes after judge denies trial delay

Posted June 18, 2013, Updated June 19, 2013

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — Nearly four years after the deadly Fort Hood shooting rampage, the Army psychiatrist charged in the case will finally go on trial after a judge Tuesday refused his request for a three-month delay.

Jury selection in Maj. Nidal Hasan's trial is set for July 9 and is expected to last four weeks. The judge said testimony will start Aug. 6 at the earliest.

Col. Tara Osborn, the judge, said she understands the need for a speedy trial and realizes it has been delayed several times, but said, "The court's paramount concern is that the accused receives a fair trial."

Hasan, 42, requested the delay after the judge earlier this month allowed him to represent himself at the court-martial. Hasan said he needed more time to prepare for his "defense of others" strategy, which must show that a killing was necessary to prevent the immediate harm or death of others.

Last week, Osborn said that defense strategy failed as a matter of law, barring Hasan from telling jurors that he shot U.S. troops because they posed an immediate threat to Taliban leaders in Afghanistan.

Hasan, an American-born Muslim, faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole if convicted in the attack that left 13 dead and nearly three dozen wounded on the Texas Army post.

The issue of whether Hasan will use another defense strategy did not come up during Tuesday's hearing. Military law experts say he might forego a defense theory and just try to make the government prove its case.

Although Hasan will serve as his own attorney, the judge ordered his three former defense attorneys to remain on the case and assist him if he asks.

On Tuesday, former lead defense attorney Lt. Col. Kris Poppe said he and the other attorneys no longer object to serving as Hasan's standby counsel, in light of Osborn's ruling banning Hasan's defense strategy.
 
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« Reply #1395 on: June 20, 2013, 11:51:33 AM »


http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Bomb-Threat-Forces-Evacuation-Of-Bell-County-Justice-Center-212161001.html
Local Courthouse Bomb Threat Linked To Hasan Court-Martial
June 20, 2013

BELTON (June 19, 2013)—The Bell County Justice Center in Belton was evacuated Wednesday morning after a man called Belton police and threatened to blow up a local courthouse if Fort Hood gunman Maj. Nidal Hasan “doesn’t get what he asks for,” county officials said.

The call lasted for less than 30 seconds, authorities said.

Hasan, who’s held in the adjacent Bell County Jail, is awaiting court-martial for the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Center that left 13 dead.

He’s being allowed to represent himself, but military Judge Col. Tara Osborn refused to allow him to present a case based on a “defense of others” strategy in which he would have claimed he killed the soldiers because they posed an immediate threat to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The call was received at around 10:50 a.m. Wednesday and although the man who placed it didn’t specify which courthouse the threat involved, the reference to Hasan focused concern on the justice center, sheriff’s office spokesman Donnie Adams said.

The justice center was evacuated within about 20 minutes and those forced out by the threat were directed to the Bell County Expo Center while deputies and drug-sniffing dogs began to sweep the building.

County officials asked for assistance from Killeen police, who also have a dog trained to sniff out explosives.

The original Bell County Courthouse in downtown Belton was also evacuated and searched, the Bell County Jail was locked down and Fort Hood was advised, Adams said.

The justice center and the courthouse were both cleared and reopened to the public just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Adams said.

No suspicious devices were found.

Bell County Judge John Burrow and Sheriff Eddy Lange later sent a note to all county employees and elected officials urging vigilance.

“Prank calls may occur again, but with the high profile Hasan trial to begin soon, we all must be diligent in observing our own areas and reporting any suspicious or out-of-the-ordinary situations to the Sheriff’s Office,” the message said.
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« Reply #1396 on: June 27, 2013, 03:50:08 PM »

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/ft-hood-hearing-ahead-of-nearing-trial
Ft. Hood hearing ahead of nearing trial
Questions about evidence presentation expected

June 27, 2013


Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan (AP)

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — An Army psychiatrist charged with gunning down fellow soldiers in a deadly 2009 attack at Fort Hood is to appear at a hearing less than two weeks before he goes on trial.

A military judge is to rule on pending matters Thursday in Maj. Nidal Hasan's case. They include whether to allow certain evidence to be presented during his court-martial.

The matters have been on hold since last month, when Hasan asked to serve as his own attorney less than a week before jury selection. His request was granted.

Jury selection is now set to start July 9. Testimony could begin as early as Aug. 6.
 
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« Reply #1397 on: June 28, 2013, 03:13:14 PM »

As well it should!  JMHO  Still waiting for justice.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/ft-hood-hearing-ahead-of-nearing-trial
Emotional testimony allowed in Hasan trial
Accounts of dying GI's cries to be told to court

June 27, 2013

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — A military judge says witness testimony about a dying pregnant soldier's cries of "My baby! My baby!" will be allowed during the murder trial of the Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage.

Col. Tara Osborn ruled on motions Thursday in Maj. Nidal Hasan's case. He faces execution or life without parole if convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.

Hasan is to enter a plea Tuesday, a week before jury selection begins on the Texas Army post. Under military law, a death penalty case requires a not guilty plea.
 
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« Reply #1398 on: July 02, 2013, 11:22:17 AM »

http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/crime/fort-hood-shooting-suspect-to-enter-plea-in-case/nYbfY/
Fort Hood shooting suspect to enter plea in case
July 2, 2013

FORT HOOD, Texas — The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage will finally enter a plea Tuesday, just a week before jury selection begins in his court-martial.
Maj. Nidal Hasan is expected to plead not guilty. In military cases, a defendant is not asked to enter a plea until right before the trial is to start.
Hasan, 42, faces execution or life without parole if convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the massacre on the Texas Army post.
Under military law, a death penalty case requires a plea of not guilty.
At previous hearings in which Hasan was represented by military defense attorneys, he indicated that he wanted to plead guilty. But Army rules prohibit a judge from accepting a guilty plea to charges that could result in a death sentence, and the judge refused to remove execution as a punishment option.
The judge, Col. Tara Osborn, also denied Hasan's request to plead guilty to lesser murder charges. She cited legal issues that could have arisen because his court-martial would have proceeded; Hasan still would have gone to trial on the premeditated murder charges, and if convicted, he still would have faced the death penalty.
If Hasan, who now serves as his own attorney, tries to plead guilty Tuesday, the judge will reject it and enter a not guilty plea for him, according to military law experts.
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« Reply #1399 on: July 02, 2013, 04:18:45 PM »

The crimes occurred in 2009.  It's time for justice for the victims, their families and friends.  JMHO



http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fort-hood-shooting-suspect-enter-plea-case-19550912
Fort Hood Shooting Suspect to Enter Plea
July 2, 2013

A military judge on Tuesday entered a not guilty plea for the Army psychiatrist accused in the deadly 2009 attack on Fort Hood, and she refused his request for another delay to hire an attorney.

Maj. Nidal Hasan, who is representing himself, said Ramsey Clark — who served as U.S. attorney general under President Lyndon Johnson and as a lawyer for the dictators Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic — offered to represent him.

He told the judge, Col. Tara Osborn, that he wanted to talk to Clark and would need a delay, but she rejected the request. She said Hasan could hire a new attorney if that person is ready by July 9, when jury selection is to start. Hasan said that if he couldn't hire Clark, he would continue representing himself and didn't want his former defense attorneys representing him. The judge previously ordered Hasan's former attorneys to remain on standby to help if he asks.

Osborn noted that Hasan's request came on the eve of the trial, which already has been delayed several times.
 
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