Moussaoui asks for death sentence
Accused al-Qaida collaborator Zacarias Moussaoui has written a U.S. judge asking to be sentenced to death in an apparent bid to involve the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema was sent the one-page letter by the French citizen, who is the only suspect in U.S. custody for the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday. After being indicted in December 2001, Moussaoui initially pleaded not guilty then tried to plead guilty and later wanted to represent himself. He withdrew his guilty plea and wrote his own legal briefs to the court, sharply chastising, ridiculing and even threatening the judge, prosecutors and his defense team, led by federal public defender Frank Dunham Jr. He's doing an excellent job of setting up an appeal on the grounds of being a nut job. | Sources told the newspaper defense lawyers want this latest request thrown out, arguing the letter is Moussaoui's naive attempt to win a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court. Brinkema has requested a meeting with prosecutors and defense attorneys at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Va., before deciding how to proceed. Grant his request, take him out and shoot him. |
Posted by: Steve 2005-04-19 |