US govt banned from seeking 9/11 death sentence

A US federal judge today barred the US government from seeking the death penalty for terrorism suspect Zacarias Moussaoui, inflicting a major defeat on the government for refusing to let the defendant question three al-Qaida prisoners.

Moussaoui is the only person in the United States to have been charged in connection with the September 11 terror attacks.

District Judge Leonie Brinkema, sitting in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, rejected a more severe option to dismiss all charges.

The government actually had sought a dismissal so that there could be a quick appeal of her earlier ruling granting Moussaoui access to the prisoners.

She said the government’s notice of intent to seek a death sentence must be stricken and prosecutors cannot present any evidence or argument that the defendant was involved in, or had knowledge of, planning the September 11 attacks.

Brinkema postponed the effect of her ruling so the government could appeal.