| The judge in charge of today’s hearing for an Army sergeant accused of killing two officers in Kuwait last year has issued one ruling today at Fort Bragg. Army Colonel Patrick Parrish ordered the government to find a way to keep Sergeant Hasan Akbar awake during court sessions. After hearing pretrial motions filed by attorneys, he then recessed until May 28th. Akbar has been dozing during court proceedings at Fort Bragg and earlier at Fort Knox, Kentucky. His lawyers say it’s due to a sleep disorder that causes him to wake up frequently at night. That leaves Akbar sleepy during the day. Defense lawyers earlier asked that Akbar’s trial be moved, or that a jury pool be selected from another branch of service. They also say the pool is prejudicial in itself because everyone outranks the defendant. Akbar is charged with premeditated murder and other offenses for the attack on a group of fellow 101st Airborne Division soldiers in Kuwait during the early days of the Iraq war. |