Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who is accused of killing 13 people during a 2009 shooting rampage in Fort Hood, Texas, rested his case Wednesday without calling any witnesses during his military trial.
Reuters reports:
"Hasan is acting as his own defense attorney on charges stemming from the shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas.
"On Tuesday, military prosecutors rested their case in the capital murder court-martial of Hasan, an American-born Muslim who has admitted in court to being the shooter, saying he switched sides in what he considered a U.S. war against Islam."
As we've reported, Hasan's trial has been fraught with drama. Back in July, there were rumors that Hasan wanted to plead guilty, but the Uniform Code of Military Justice bars guilty pleas in death penalty cases. Later in the summer, Hasan decided to represent himself. As the trial progressed, the attorneys assigned to assist him asked to be removed from the case because they were convinced Hasan was set on receiving the death penalty.
CNN reports that closing arguments are set to begin "shortly," with Hasan expected to make a statement to the "military jury of 13 officers who will decide his fate."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
