Judge Abruptly Halts Moussaoui Case Due To "Second Significant Error By The Government Affecting The Constitutional Rights Of The Defendant"...

Associated Press Michael J. Sniffen March 13, 2006 at 11:58 AM

An angry federal judge unexpectedly recessed the death penalty trial of confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to consider whether government violations of her rules against coaching witnesses should remove the death penalty as an option.

The stunning development came at the opening of the fifth day of the trial as the government had informed the judge and the defense over the weekend that a lawyer for the Federal Aviation Administration had coached four government FAA witnesses in violation of the rule set by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema. The rule was that no witness should hear trial testimony in advance.

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