Supreme Court Rejects Plea Deal Appeal for 9/11 Defendant Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
U.S. Supreme Court denied request to revive plea deals for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two co‑defendants.
Key facts
- According to the New York Times, the Supreme Court rejected a request from Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two other defendants accused of plotting the September 11 attacks.
- According to the South China Morning Post, the Court denied an appeal to revive plea deals that were later revoked.
- Mohammed and two others remain at Guantanamo Bay and are scheduled for trial in June 2028.
- The plea deals were struck in 2024 to avoid the death penalty during the Biden administration.
- An appellate court ruled last year that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acted within his legal authority when ordering the plea deals to be thrown out.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two alleged accomplices to revive plea deals that had been struck in 2024.
The Court’s decision clears the way for a potential death penalty trial of the defendants, who are still held at Guantanamo Bay.
The plea deals were originally negotiated to avoid the death penalty, but were later revoked after criticism from some victims’ families.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the plea deals to be thrown out, sparking a legal battle over whether such a move was permitted.
An appellate court ruled last year that Austin had acted within the bounds of his legal authority.
The Supreme Court’s denial means the defendants will proceed to trial in June 2028 without the possibility of a plea agreement.
Context
The defendants were charged with involvement in the 2001 September 11 attacks. In 2024, they struck pre‑trial agreements to avoid the death penalty. After criticism, the defense secretary reversed the agreements, leading to the Supreme Court’s decision.
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How this was made
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