Judge halts trial in Fort Hood shooting rampage

Judge halts trial in Fort Hood shooting rampage

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - The standby attorney for the soldier charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage accused Maj. Nidal Hasan today of deliberately charting a course toward a conviction and death sentence, abruptly halting the trial after only one day. Lt. Col. Kris Poppe, Hasan’s lead court-appointed standby attorney, said he is willing to step in and be Hasan’s defense lawyer. But he asked that his responsibilities as co-counsel be minimized if Hasan, who is representing himself at trial, continues to work toward being executed.