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Fort Hood rampage trial shifts to suspect

Posted at 7:50 AM, Aug 21, 2013
and last updated 2013-08-21 08:52:18-04

By MICHAEL GRACZYK and PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - The Army psychiatrist on trial for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood now gets his turn in court to present his side of the story.

But there are questions about whether Maj. Nidal Hasan will even present a defense to jurors starting Wednesday on the Texas Army base. Military prosecutors rested their case Tuesday after calling nearly 90 witnesses in 11 days.

But Hasan is signaling that he might not call any witnesses on his behalf. He told a military judge Tuesday that he no longer needed a religious professor who was among the only two witnesses on his list.

Hasan is charged with killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others. Jurors could begin weighing his punishment early as Wednesday if Hasan's case doesn't last long.

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