Fort Hood court rejects lawyer’s appeal in Hasan case

The soldier on trial for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood was allowed to continue representing himself after the judge barred his standby attorneys from taking over, despite their claims the Army psychiatrist was trying to secure his own death sentence.

The military lawyers ordered to help Maj Nidal Hasan represent himself had asked to either be removed from the case or be allowed to take over. They said they believed Hasan was trying to convince jurors to convict him and sentence him to death for the attack that killed 13 people on the Texas military base.

The judge, Col Tara Osborn, denied that request, saying it was clear the lawyers simply disagreed with Hasan’s defence strategy. But the attorneys were adamant and said they would appeal her ruling to a higher court.