Hasan Updates

The Associated Press and Stars & Stripes report that Nidal Hasan’s lawyer, John Galligan may try to plead innocent by reason of insanity for his client.

John Galligan, the civilian attorney for Maj. Nidal Hasan, said he is considering an insanity defense among other options, but that it’s too early to determine his defense strategy.

“Based on the evidence thus far, his mental status must be raised,” Galligan told The Associated Press by phone from his office near Fort Hood, about 130 miles southwest of Dallas. “Anybody who allegedly engages in conduct that is completely contradictory to his lifestyle and military career – an insanity defense has to be considered.”

Yeah, except that Hasan wasn’t acting insane when he handed out Korans to his neighbors and spent days giving away his stuff. If he’d shot the guy that keyed his car, well, that might have been insanity. But Hasan drove several miles to Fort Hood, jumped up on a table and shot people he didn’t know after hollering that God is great.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Galligan is beginning to act like James Branum – it must be the Texas sun or water and the effect it has on the lawyers there;

Last week, Maj. Hasan was transferred to the 21st Cavalry Brigade, an air-combat unit based at Fort Hood, according to his lawyer. Mr. Galligan said the explanation offered to him was that the new unit “has no known victims or responders to events of 5 November.”

Mr. Galligan said he is concerned that the rapid pace of the proceedings threatens his client’s due-process rights. “Already on most basic fundamental parts of pretrial process, I am not saying it is totally derailed, but they need to do some maintenance to make sure we stay on track,” he said.

How slow does it need to go, Mr. Galligan? It’s not like the Army is building a gallows outside his room. I want to see the trial end so I can start ruining careers. If I can wait that long.

Category: Military issues