Judge to Fort Hood suspect: Shave or be shaved

Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting, is seen in this undated file photo provided by the Bell County Sheriff's Department via The Temple Daily Telegram. / AP Photo/Bell County Sheriff's Department via The Temple Daily Telegram

Updated at 2:29 p.m. ET

(AP) FORT HOOD, Texas - The Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage must be clean-shaven or will be forcibly shaved before his murder trial, a military judge ordered Thursday.

Col. Gregory Gross issued the official order after a hearing to determine whether a federal religious freedom law applied to Hasan's case, and triggered another delay in all proceedings related to Hasan's trial because his attorneys plan to appeal.

Beards are a violation of Army regulations, and soldiers who disobey orders to get rid of facial hair can be shaved against their will. Gross repeatedly has said Hasan's beard, which he started growing in jail this summer, is a disruption to the court proceedings.

Hasan told the judge last week that he grew a beard because his Muslim faith requires it, not as a show of disrespect. Gross ruled Thursday that the defense didn't prove Hasan is growing a beard for sincere religious reasons.

Gross had found Hasan in contempt of court at six previous pretrial hearings because he was not clean-shaven, then sent him to a nearby trailer to watch the proceedings on a closed-circuit television. But the judge allowed Hasan to remain in the courtroom for Thursday's hearing.

Hasan, 41, is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 attack on the Texas Army post.

Hasan previously appealed after Gross said he would order him to be shaved if he did not get rid of the beard himself before the trial. Gross said he wants Hasan in the courtroom during the court-martial to prevent a possible appeal on the issue if he is convicted.

The Army has specific guidelines on forced shaving. A team of five military police officers restrains the inmate "with the reasonable force necessary," and a medical professional is on hand in case of injuries. The shaving must be done with electric clippers and must be videotaped, according to Army rules.

Last week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled Hasan's earlier appeal was premature because Gross has not issued a definitive order. But the court said that when Gross issued the official order, Hasan would be able to take his case to the Army Court of Criminal Appeals.

[Beadwindow2020]

It took this long for the president of the court to understand the UCMJ? I just think he is a washed up army JAG who had to be pushed. This would never happen in the Marines. Nothing to do with the law.

[notredamegirl77]

He looks stupid!!!

[JAW746]

Amazing, six times this court has "threatened" this MURDERER to "shave or be shaved." It's beginning to sound like this military Judge is a little afraid of being Politically Incorrect. Maybe he should add a "pretty, pretty please, with sugar on it."

[PourpaixPourpaix]

Only the idiot military can make such a inconsequential issue take such a priority. Shave off beards? Makes far more sense to me to start shaving stars, eagles, and oak leaves off Army uniforms. Maybe then those individuals could be made into a just barely perceptible cut above absolute uselessness and dishonor.

[technocoffee]

...shave him, hang him & bury him in pig and dog manure.

[zebudos]

Let him keep the beard as long as he wants to have it! Just cover it with sticky flesh colored tape. After each session of court he can remove the tape if he wants, or leave it on.

[ttipbc]

Simple - cut off his head - beard gone - problem solved.

[gnimelf1968]

You took my idea :)

[SusanMassachusetts]

What a grand standing jerk! Religious??? Really? Any religion that demands its followers to murder innocents isn't a religion, it is a cult. And cults have no rights.
Shave the beard you freak.

[0bama2O12]

Nothing can bring back the deceased victims, but why inflict cruel and unusual punishment, not to mention humiliation on Major Hasan.

[netjunkie1]

As a soldier, it's seems to me that the privledge of trial are held when crimes of society are committed, if so and he claims his religion demands his beared face, let him keep it.
But it dawns on me that as a soldier, his act of treachery and treason deserve nothing less than summary execution. Shoot the bastard 13 times.