Government seeks October trial for Moussaoui
on Mar 22, 2005 at 3:48 pm
One day after the Supreme Court refused to review the pre-trial appeal of Zacarias Moussaoui, accused of conspiring to carry out the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Justice Department asked a federal judge in Alexandria, Va., to schedule the trial to open on October 3.
The case has been stayed by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema until the Supreme Court acted on Moussaoui’s petition for review. The Department, in Tuesday’s filing, asked that the stay be lifted and a trial date set.
The Department also asked the judge to schedule a penalty phase on a possible death sentence to begin on January 4, if Moussaoui is convicted of a death-eligible crime. He is charged with six counts of conspiracy, four of which could carry a death sentence.
