Walker's trial set for August
John Walker Lindh's trial will likely start in late August, raising the odds the former Taliban soldier will be in court on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
US District Judge TS Ellis III set August 26 for jury selection, but says he may consider a defence request to move the date beyond the September date.
On the day the Lindh case moved forward, Ellis handed down a 21-month prison sentence to a Virginia man who helped two of the September hijackers obtain fake Virginia identifications.
In a third case in the same federal courthouse, a man charged with carrying false identification near the Pentagon was released on $5,000 bond after a prosecutor indicated the case may be dropped.
The man was arrested just after the FBI issued its latest terrorism alert.
Lindh, 21, is charged in a 10-count indictment with conspiring to kill Americans, providing support to terrorists, including Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida, and using firearms during crimes of violence.
Three of the charges carry a maximum life sentence and the other seven could bring an additional 90 years in prison.
Lindh, wearing a green prison suit, sat at the defence table throughout the federal court proceeding to schedule the trial date and pretrial proceedings.
During a brief recess, he spoke with his attorneys and signed papers as his parents, Frank Lindh and Marilyn Walker, sat in the second row.
Defence attorney George Harris asked the judge for a September 16 trial date to get past September 11, saying the defence might be presenting its side of the case on or near the anniversary.
Harris says there is no link between the attacks and the Lindh case, but contended that Attorney General John Ashcroft tried to leave the implication there was a connection.
The lawyer argued for a September 16 trial date.
