Diogenes
Nemo me impune lacessit
Pentagon Appeals Court Upholds Plea Deals in Sept. 11 Case
The three-judge decision appeared, at least for now, to put plea proceedings for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two others back on track to take place in early January at Guantánamo Bay.
Absent an appeal, plea-taking proceedings at Guantánamo Bay in January would be a first step in a monthslong process that would potentially continue throughout 2025 with the selection of a military jury to hear the case, including victim testimony and any mitigating circumstances, and deliberate a sentence.
Rear Adm. Aaron C. Rugh, the chief prosecutor for military commissions, did not respond to a question Monday night about whether his team would ask the Justice Department to pursue the case further at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
But on Tuesday, prosecutors asked Colonel McCall to postpone Mr. Mohammed’s Jan. 6 plea hearing at Guantánamo Bay until after Jan. 27. They asked for time to consult with Justice Department lawyers on whether they should seek to nullify the plea deal at the federal appeals court. Lawyers for Mr. Mohammed opposed the delay.
Pentagon Appeals Court Upholds Plea Deals in Sept. 11 Case
The three-judge decision appeared, at least for now, to put plea proceedings for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two others back on track to take place in early January at Guantánamo Bay.