AP: Moussaoui Withdraws Guilty Plea

[Newsjock]

Updates to include actual story, changes title to conform
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=79575

By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN
Associated Press Writer

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- Convicted Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui says he lied on the witness stand about being involved in the plot and wants to withdraw his guilty plea because he now believes he can get a fair trial.

In a motion filed Friday but released Monday, Moussaoui said he testified March 27 he was supposed to hijack a fifth plane on Sept. 11, 2001, and fly it into the White House "even though I knew that was a complete fabrication."

... Moussaoui's court-appointed lawyers told the court they filed the motion even though a federal rule "prohibits a defendant from withdrawing a guilty plea after imposition of sentence." They did so anyway because of their "problematic relationship with Moussaoui" and the fact that new lawyers have yet to be appointed to replace them.

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