Overview
- Air Force Lt. Col. Michael A. Schrama issued an 11‑page scheduling order on Wednesday that sets jury selection to begin June 5, 2028, and lays out deadlines for opening statements and phased evidence presentation.
- The order names Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three co‑defendants — Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al‑Hawsawi and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali — to be tried before a panel of military service members.
- Schrama made clear the timetable is conditional because significant pretrial disputes remain, including fights over whether statements and other material tied to years of CIA detention and interrogations can be used at trial.
- The schedule follows the collapse of a 2024 plea agreement after then‑Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked the deals and a federal appeals court later upheld his authority to do so, restoring the possibility of capital sentencing.
- Families of 9/11 victims seek closure but legal rulings already excluding or limiting confessions and likely further appeals mean the scheduled date could still be delayed and prolong uncertainty about final accountability.