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The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the Biden Administration's decision to reject plea deals with the men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks. The justices refused to review former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's decision, leaving a lower court's ruling that he had the authority to cancel the agreements in place. According to Yahoo News, the plea deals, which were struck in a U.S. military court, had removed the death penalty as a potential sentence, drawing criticism from 9/11 victims and their families.
The defendants, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Mustafa al Hawsawi, and Walid bin 'Atash, were captured in 2003 and charged with several crimes related to the September 11 attacks. The plea agreements, reached in 2024, required the accused to plead guilty to all charges and serve life sentences. However, Austin revoked the agreements, stating that such decisions should rest with him. A military judge initially ruled that the agreements were valid, but a military appeals court later sided with Austin, stating he had the authority to withdraw from the deals.
The Supreme Court's decision means the case returns to military courts, which have faced delays in setting a trial date. The trials have been on hold as courts determine whether evidence obtained through torture is admissible. The judge overseeing the cases has set a trial date for June 2028, contingent on meeting certain deadlines, as reported by CNN.