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Fourth Circuit to rehear oral arguments in Moussaoui appeal

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Tuesday ordered new arguments in the case of convicted terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui. The court is rehearing the case due to the retirement of Chief Judge Karen Williams, who heard oral arguments in January. Williams announced last week that she was retiring due to early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Moussaoui's counsel previously requested that his guilty plea and life sentence be withdrawn and a new trial be granted, arguing that his plea was involuntary due to Fifth and Sixth Amendment violations. His lawyers additionally argued that Moussaoui's unawareness of the charges against him violated Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and that his trial counsel did not have access to statements made by al Qaeda members denying Moussaoui's involvement in the 9/11 conspiracy. The re-argument is scheduled to begin on September 25, 2009. Moussaoui's lawyers appealed his conviction in January 2008. He received a life sentence after pleading guilty to six conspiracy charges in connection with the 9/11 attacks, including conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to destroy aircraft and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. He avoided the death penalty due to one juror's refusal to agree to it.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 15, 2009 (boomark / email).