Judge Bars 9/11 Mastermind's Testimony in NYC
Source: Associated Press
Judge Bars 9/11 Mastermind's Testimony in NYC
NEW YORK March 18, 2014 (AP)
By TOM HAYS Associated Press
The self-described architect of the Sept. 11 attacks will not be allowed to testify in the terrorism trial of Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, a federal judge in Manhattan ruled Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected a request by defense lawyers to call Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as a witness at the trial of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith using live, closed-circuit video from Guantanamo Bay, where Mohammed is imprisoned.
At a hearing during an off day at Abu Ghaith's trial, Kaplan told the defense that the testimony would be irrelevant because there was no evidence that Mohammed and Abu Ghaith had ever met or even been in the same country. He also criticized Abu Ghaith's lawyers for making the request at such a late stage.
"I have considered this very carefully," Kaplan said. "This is much ado about nothing."
[font size=1]
-snip-[/font]
Read more:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-bars-911-masterminds-testimony-nyc-22954668