FORT HOOD, Texas — The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage said Monday he will use a ‘‘defense of others’’ argument when he represents himself at his upcoming murder trial.
Major Nidal Hasan did not elaborate when announcing his strategy Monday, shortly after a military judge agreed to allow him to represent himself. But it was the first time Hasan hinted at his reasoning behind the worst mass shooting on a US military installation.
Hasan, 42, faces the death penalty or life without parole if convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
Hasan, who was set to deploy to Afghanistan with some of the troops killed that day on the Texas Army post, likely will try to show that he was trying to defend Muslims against US troops in a war that he believes is illegal and immoral, military law experts said. To prove a ‘‘defense of others’’ argument, a defendant must show a threat was imminent.
Hasan also asked for a three-month delay to prepare. The judge said she would decide that issue Tuesday, a day before jury selection was scheduled to begin.
After questioning Hasan for about an hour, the judge, Colonel Tara Osborn, ruled that Hasan was mentally competent to represent himself and understands ‘‘the disadvantage of self-representation.’’
She urged him to reconsider his request, noting that the lead prosecutor has more than 20 years of experience and that Hasan will be held to the same standards as all attorneys regarding courtroom rules and military law.