Judge weighs multiple 9/11 trials at Gitmo

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A military judge is considering whether to hold more than one trial for the five Guantanamo prisoners charged in the Sept. 11 attacks.

A lawyer for one of the men says the judge suggested in an order that it may be better to split the case up because of the difficulty trying to schedule hearings with five defendants and multiple lawyers. Attorney James Connell says the judge also questioned whether evidence against one defendant could help the case of another. The prosecution and defense will respond in writing by the end of the month.

The five men were arraigned together on May 5 at the U.S. base in Cuba. Previously, some defense teams wanted separate trials for the men and the prosecution wanted them tried together.