In an interesting tidbit from the Bell County Jail where then-US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan was held during his trial for the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, a report of his jail requests indicates he asked for a Bible and a “knowledgeable person” while he was on trial:
Hasan also asked the jail for a copy of the Bible and added, “Please send a knowledgeable person to answer my difficult questions as Read more
The trial of Fort Hood shooter US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan — the term “alleged” is apparently no longer necessary, since he stated in open court he did it — was halted by the military judge.
By Wednesday, the lawyers ordered to help him said they had had enough — they couldn’t watch him fulfill a death wish.
“It becomes clear his goal is to remove impediments or obstacles to the death penalty and is working toward a death penalty,” his lead standby attorney, Lt. Col. Kris Poppe, told the judge. That strategy, he argued, “is repugnant to defense counsel and contrary to our professional obligations.”
Poppe said he and the other standby lawyers want to take over the case, or if Hasan is allowed to continue on his own, they want their roles minimized so that Hasan couldn’t ask them for help with a strategy they oppose.
In short, the lawyers who are tasked to be in pseudo-standby to help him want to either take over — or they want out.
That Hasan may be actively seeking to be put to death is Read more
US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan was kicked out of the courtroom again for wearing a beard in violation of military grooming standards. The issues of accommodation were already discussed, but this exchange was particularly interesting:
Lead defense attorney Lt. Col. Kris Poppe told the judge that Hasan grew the beard as a “deeply sincere” expression of his faith…
“I’ll wait for him to shave if he wants to come back in here,” [Judge Col Gregory] Gross told Hasan’s attorneys. “He has a choice.”
[Attorney LtCol Kris] Poppe responded that it was a choice to “to obey you or his religious faith.” Read more