(Lawdragon) The prosecution in the Sept. 11 case has entered into plea negotiations with legal teams for the five defendants accused of planning the attacks that would take the death penalty off the table in exchange for guilty pleas to war crimes, multiple sources with knowledge of the talks said this week.
Such agreements could end the strained, long-running attempt to hold accountable those charged with the worst-ever attacks on U.S. soil — a dogged effort that has now spanned four presidential administrations.
However, the stunning turn of events could equally be seen as merely the start of a complex, multiagency process that is far from guaranteed a successful outcome. The Pentagon official who oversees the military commissions, the convening authority, approves all plea agreements and sentences. The current convening authority, Jeffrey Wood, gave prosecutors the green light to start plea discussions with the defense teams, according to one participant in the talks.
