Attorney: Fort Hood Suspect Moved Out Of ICU

The Army psychiatrist charged in last month's deadly shooting at Fort Hood has been moved from a hospital's intensive care unit to a private room, his attorney said Wednesday.

Maj. Nidal Hasan remains under guard at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and is rehabilitating from wounds that left him paralyzed from the waist down, said attorney John Galligan. He said he was notified about the transfer on Tuesday.

Doctors have said Hasan needs to be hospitalized at least two more months while he learns to care for himself, Galligan said.

Galligan said he filed a motion to have Hasan transferred to a hospital closer to his office near Fort Hood so that he would have better access to his attorneys. Fort Hood is about 125 miles northeast of San Antonio.

Officials from the military hospital and Fort Hood did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment.

Hasan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the Nov. 5 attack. Army officials have not said if they will seek the death penalty.

Army prosecutors have said doctors will evaluate Hasan by mid-January to determine if he is competent to stand trial and to determine his mental state at the time of the shooting.

Hasan has been ordered to remain in custody until his military trial.

Galligan said Hasan is only allowed to see his attorneys and relatives. Hasan's phone conversations can be recorded, his relatives' visits must be supervised, and all communication during visits must be in English or be delayed until a translator is brought in. Hasan also has been barred from watching or reading news reports, and his private room has no television, the attorney said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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