A Hassan Update
Well, it looks like Hassan ploy to avoid the needle by pleading is a NO-GO. (Yeah, I know – he’s still technically a member of the military. I don’t care. I refuse to give that treacherous asshole the honor of using a military title with his name.) The judge didn’t take the bait.
Nidal Hassan, the Fort Hood shooter, recently offered to plead guilty to noncapital murder. However, the military judge in the case, COL Tara Osborn, refused to accept his plea. He’ll be tried for capital murder, with the death penalty in play.
IMO, COL Olson made the correct decision. The UCMJ prohibits pleading guilty to a capital crime. While theoretically his trial on capital murder charges could have proceeded after a guilty plea to noncapital murder, that might possibly also have given Nidal an avenue for appeal. In that scenario Hassan would have pleaded guilty to a lesser included crime, then later been convicted for the original crime for which he was charged. You never know beforehand how the Court of Military Appeals or the SCOTUS might view such a situation.
The possibility for the plea influencing one or more panel members was also likely a consideration. Death penalty sentences under the UCMJ must be unanimous. The defense was obviously hoping that a guilty plea to lesser charges, if accepted, would be considered as “acceptance of responsibility” (yeah, right) during sentencing deliberations.
COL Osborn is also weighing whether to allow the testimony of an terrorism expert. Defense attorneys predictably oppose this, claiming it would be “prejudicial”.
The wheels of justice indeed turn slowly. But as I’m guessing Hassan is going to find out, they also grind exceedingly fine.
Keep thinking about those “72 virgins”, Nidal. Hopefully you’ll be seeing them soon. And to help you better appreciate what’s in store for you, here’s your own personalized preview (WARNING: image may be disturbing to full stomachs):
Category: Crime, Military issues, Shitbags, Terror War, Veterans Issues
Hope the “wheeels of justice” grind this scumbag into hog food.
Don’t they still hang you in the military? I guess we’ll find out soon!
Keep playing, you terrorist piece of crap. We’ll get you because a ‘jury of your peers’ is actually not a jusr of YOUR peers. Your jury will be much, much better than you, in mind, body and spirit, and I highly doubt that you will be able to find a jury that won’t give this guy the ticket to hell he deserves.
Every day that this murderous coward continues to draw breath is an insult to the memories of his victims and their families.
As for all the comments above, my sentiments exactly.
Here’s my two cents’ worth:
1. Rope
2. Tree or Gallows
3. Terrorist.
Some assembly required.
#2, no, under the current regulation it’s lethal injection. I’d prefer the old hanging kind complete with unit assembled to watch, the band playing the “dead march” beforehand, and “a lively air” after.
And I’m afraid “soon” is wishful thinking. Though my wishes are very much the same!
Who said the virgins were going to be women?
I used to think that, Alberich. But then I realized that some sick bastards want a final stage for their exit.
I think I’d personally prefer to see a hanging in a private place (only official witnesses and family members of the victims allowed). Second choice would be the gas chamber or electrocution under similar circumstances. I can grudgingly accept lethal injection under the same circumstances. All of these give no final audience, closure for the bereaved, and provide no public spectacle that can be exploited for propaganda purposes.
Although I could be talked into forcible exit from a hovering or flying aircraft at 5,000′ AGL – sans parachute and over water at least 10 miles from any shore or shallows – as a alternative.
What the bastard does not IMO deserve under any circumstances is the dignity of a truly military execution, such as a firing squad. IMO he forfeited rights to that the second he took up arms against his fellow soldiers. He deserves to die like the terrorist bastard he is.
Good on COL Osborn. Now let’s hope she gives the death penalty. Although I have to wonder if Hassan is going to refuse her verdicts because she’s a woman who has the audacity to talk to him.
One of our JAGs here can correct me if I’m wrong, David, but I don’t think that will be her call. I believe the courts-martial panel decides the sentence, and that it can impose death only by unanimous vote.
Why did I not heed your warning???
Just Plain Jason: c’mon – that’s one of the better “72 virgins” pictures out there! (smile)
“Who said the virgins were going to be women?” That’s a winner right there!
@8 I prefer simplicity, myself. On his knees on a slaughterhouse floor, bullet to the back of the head.
Or they could just use the bolt gun. If it’ll work for a cow or pig, it would work for a man.
The Duffle Blog had a piece about Hasan getting promoted to LTC and receiving the Legion Of Merit…seems this got quite
a few bites from all quarters just doing a Google search.
http://www.duffelblog.com/2013/03/alleged-fort-hood-shooter-nidal-hasan-receives-promotion-legion-of-merit/
#10, spot on, and then the President has to approve it. (I’m not going to speculate on the possibility he’d commute it.)
2/17 Air Cav, VOV: did you guys actually look at the picture? Are you really sure all of those qualify as “women”? (smile)
Even if he’s sentenced to death, he’ll get to sit on Death Row and live another 20 years I’m sure.
They just need to martyr his ass already so we can press on.
He’ll never get his 72 virgins. Everyone knows that the streets of Paradise are guarded by U.S. Marines.
Screw all the above methods of meeting his end. Take his ass and wheelchair out to west range, tell him he’s got ten seconds to make it to the fence and try to get over it, before a surviving troop fires a single $1.00 round and don’t miss, that should do the trick. Fuck that turd. Being dropped out of a perfectly good aircraft over water just pollutes that body of water with his damn carcass.
I know this story now pales in comparison to the other Fort Hood story, that a soldier may have engaged in illicit sexual conduct. Nevertheless, here is an update. It seems that Hasan’s legal team failed to convince the presiding judge that the trial ought to be again postponed. The reason? “[T]o put some distance between the recent terrorist bombings at the Boston Marathon and jury selection.” Yipes. The judge issued a No Go on that, suggesting, in so many words, that such a basis for postponement could result in an indefinite delay. You got it, judgy, that’s what they were hoping! The actual testimony-taking trial is now set for 1 July. We’ll see, though. On 29 May a series of motions are to be heard.
Justice isn’t just blind-folded any more — she’s been hog-tied as well. And the scales disappeared long ago.
Thanks for that update, AC. This thing needs to be resolved, and may now finally be moving out of the holding pattern?
@22 – The judge is right. After all, Ft. Hood was “workplace violence” and not an act of terrorism, as we’ve been told. My hat is off to her.
@25. Yeah, I got a kick out of that, too. Why in the world would the defense team be concerned with the potential influence of a terrorist attack when they should be concerned with incidences of workplace violence that might have been in the ppaper or TV lately? After all, Hasan isn’t a terrorist. He’s just a disgruntled worker, right?
Here is the 72 virgins
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1978555/posts
And may the rest of those 72 virgins look thusly:
http://www.hyscience.com/archives/72virgins_1.JPG
The other 70 are the same
http://photobucket.com/images/brokeback%20mountain?page=1#/images/brokeback%20mountain?page=1&_suid=136871663174802781851624929956
Hey, the only difficult choice with this turd is: firing squad or hanging. (Have to go w/ what was on the books at the time– lethal injection they got now hadn’t made it by then.)
Don’t think so, Anonymous (30). AR 190-55 governs military executions (the Army runs the USDB at Leavenworth). It specifies lethal injection – and has since 2006.
http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r190_55.pdf?