Thread by @carolrosenberg

Update: The military judge has released the death-penalty defender Cheryl Bormann from the 9/11 case, according to people who've seen the 15-page ruling. The Pentagon has yet to release it. One source says the judge declined to abate the proceedings.
nytimes.com/2022/03/10/us/…

Now the new chief defense counsel for war court cases, Army Brig. Gen. Jackie L. Thompson Jr., needs to hire a new learned counsel. General Thompson says there is no such qualified lawyer on the team of defendant Walid bin Attash. Hearings could resume as soon as May 9.

In his ruling, the judge, Col. Matthew McCall, makes "no findings" on the adequacy of the inhouse investigation of Ms. Bormann's "performance and conduct" and nor does he make findings on "the veracity of the allegations." (He also offers no details.)

In his ruling, he does find that the defense team that Ms. Bormann built cannot "function effectively, regardless of whether the allegations ... are founded or not."
So she's out, the team remains intact, with no abatement.

Key: CDC=Brig. Gen. Thompson

The judge describes the team Ms. Bormann built to defend alleged 9/11 plotter Walid bin Attash as unable to "function effectively, regardless of whether the allegations ... are founded or not." He says the team suffered "irreparable damage" as a result of the investigation.

Ms. Bormann, who had represented the prisoner since July 22, 2011: "It remains in Mr. bin Attash’s best interest to avoid commenting at this point."

Here's the ruling, issued yesterday. The judge orders the chief defense counsel to "expeditiously" hire a new learned counsel and report back every two weeks. Meantime lawyer William P. Montross Jr. and other team lawyers are in plea bargain talks. int.nyt.com/data/documentt…