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Another Hearing for Hasan in Fort Hood Shootings Trial

courtesy Bell County Sheriff's Department

The judge has scheduled another hearing today in the case of the Fort Hood shooting suspect.

It’s unclear what the trial judge, Col. Tara Osborne, will rule at the hearing, but a statement from Fort Hood says she is “expected to announce rulings from matters litigated at past hearings.”

At a hearing earlier this week, Osborne told Maj. Nidal Hasan’s defense lawyers to submit written arguments for why they believe their representation is unethical.

The judge had ordered them to remain available to assist Hasan after ruling that he could represent himself in his court-martial.

Hasan has said he intends to use a “defense of others” argument: that the people shot were targeted because their impending deployment to Afghanistan threatened the Taliban leadership, among others.

Hasan has requested a three-month delay to prepare that defense. The judge has not ruled on that request. The trial had been scheduled to start last month.

Jurors who had traveled to Fort Hood have been sent back to their duty stations.

Hasan faces execution or life in prison in the 2009 shootings, which killed 13 people and wounded 32.

Trey Shaar is an All Things Considered producer, reporter and host. Got a tip? Email him at tshaar@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @treyshaar.
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