The gunman who went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in 2009 may get a new attorney to handle his appeals, a step that could delay the complicated appellate process further.
NidalHasan has been on death row since his 2012 conviction for the attack at Fort Hood that killed 13 people.
Military judge Col. Tara Osborn presided over a hearing Thursday morning at Fort Leavenworth to address issues concerning Hasan’s appeals process. Those issues included the matter of Hasan’s legal representation.
His lead defense counsel, Lt. Col. Kris Poppe, began work as a judge after Hasan's trial. The judge said she was concerned that Poppe now served under her, even though his job as Hasan's lawyer was to find errors she may have made.
The Fort Hood Public Affairs Office said in a release that Col. Osborn would also review Hasan's post-trial rights and elections and discuss the Record of Trial.
The review is one of several mandatory steps in military death penalty cases.
