The accused terrorist behind the September 11, 2001, attacks, considered the “mastermind” behind them by reports, is set to stand trial in 2028.
According to a ruling from Lt. Col. Michael Schram and reported by The New York Post, the trial is set for June 5, 2028. Prosecutors requested a January 2027 trial date.
“We have been asking for a trial date for 20 years. Hopefully, this time it is for real,” retired NYPD officer Jim Smith, whose wife, Moira Smith, died while responding to the attacks, told the outlet. “It’s all going to depend on the judge. We’ve been through so many, some good, but mostly officers who wanted nothing to do with this case. Someone has to man up and take charge.”
“We have waited 25 years. Why do we have to wait another two years?” said retired police officer Kathy Vigiano, whose late husband, a detective, perished on September 11. “How much time do you need for pre-trial? Why can’t they start the trial now? It is time for the victims to get justice now!”
Last year, judges on a federal appeals court tossed a plea agreement that would have allowed Mohammed to avoid the death penalty. The deal was negotiated over two years. The 2-1 decision reverses a previous ruling that said former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin could not withdraw deals in progress.
“The secretary of defense indisputably had legal authority to withdraw from the agreements; the plain and unambiguous text of the pretrial agreements shows that no performance of promises had begun; the government has no adequate alternative remedy to vindicate its interests; and the equities make issuance of the writs appropriate,” the judges wrote.
