Fort Hood Mass Shooting Witnesses Fight Gag Order

A lawyer representing several witnesses in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting trial of Major Nidal Hasan asked the judge Thursday to drop the gag order she has imposed on witnesses.

Attorney Neal Sher said the judge's restrictions are an unconstitutional limit on free speech.

"They want to talk about the manner in which they've been mistreated by the Army and the government ever since the attack took place," Sher said.

Sher represents Army Sergeant Alonzo Lunsford and former Sergeant Shawn Manning who were both wounded in the attack and have both testified in the trial.

He also represents former Fort Hood Police Sergeant Kimberly Munley who is expected to testify Friday.

She was one of the armed police officers who fired at the suspect.

As the trial began, Fort Hood media representatives prepared a special area where witnesses who wished to speak to reporters after their testimony could do so.

However Judge Tara Osborn told each of the witnesses not to discuss their testimony with anyone except the prosecutors and Major Nidal Hasan while the trial is underway.

Sher said the restriction should not extent to remarks about issues outside the trial, but the witnesses are scared.

"The prosecutor said if any of them spoke to the press afterward, there would be severe consequences," Sher said.

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