One day after opening statements were given the judge in the court martial of accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan has brought the trial to a halt after the standby attorney for Hasan complained that Hasan was deliberately trying to get convicted and receive the death sentence, according to the Associated Press.
Hasan had chosen to represent himself after coming to odds with his original defense team. When the court decided to allow Hasan to serve as his own attorney they appointed a group of defense lawyers to be on hand to help Hasan with potential issues he may have had throughout the court-martial.
Lt. Col. Kris Poppe, the leader of Hasan's defense counsel, filed a motion asking Judge Col. Tara Osborn to excuse them from the court-martial after coming to the conclusion Hasan was trying to sabotage his own defense after hearing the opening statement and the cross-examination of witnesses on Tuesday, according to USA Today.
"Assisting him in achieving the goal of moving closer to the death penalty is something a defense trial attorney should not be forced to do," Poppe said. "(It is) clear his goal is to remove impediments or obstacles to the death penalty."
Hasan denied that he was trying to lose the trial.
"That's a twist of the facts," Hasan said. "It's inaccurate and I'd like to clarify that."
Osborn has put the trial into recess until Thursday as she considers the motion.
It has been five years since the 2009 shooting and the trial has been delayed numerous times in the past. Last year a judge was removed days before the trial was expected to begin after a fight over whether or not Hasan would be allowed to have a beard since military regulations forbid beards, according to the Associated Press.
If Hasan is convicted and given the death penalty he will become the first U.S. soldier to be executed since 1961, according to the Associated Press.
