Fort Hood shooter sports beard, hearing delayed

Bell County Sheriffs Department

Nidal Hasan is seen at the Bell County Jail in San Antonio, Texas, in November.

By Louis Casiano Jr., msnbc.com

The judge in the trial of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan delayed pre-trial motions Friday when he ruled the defendant to be in violation of the Army's grooming standards. ? ? ? ??

Hasan showed up for the half-day?administrative?hearing sporting a beard, which the military prosecutors said was a violation of Army regulation 670-1 and court-martial rule 804(4)(1). Judge Col. Gregory Gross then went on record saying that Hasan's beard was a disruption to the proceedings.

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"It is a disruption.?The judge felt it was," Fort Hood media officer Chris Haug told msnbc.com.?"He's in violation of the Army's dress and grooming standards,"?

Army regulation 670-1 dictates the appearance of Army uniforms, while court-martial rule 804(4)(1) states ?the accused shall be attired in dress or uniform as prescribed by a military judge.

"He's an active-duty soldier and should be in full uniform and clean shaven. That's what all active-duty soldiers are supposed to do," Haug said.

It was the first time Hasan has shown up in court with a beard.

According to Army rules, all males must be clean shaven when in uniform or civilian clothes while on duty.

The defense indicated it would file a request for exception to the policy for religious accommodation for Hasan, an American-born Muslim, to the Department of the Army.There was no indication how long it would take for a decision to be made on such a request.?

The pre-trial motions will resume when Hasan adheres to the Army regulation or when a closed-circuit?feed can be set up for him to observe the trial from a different location, the military said. A location has not been determined should the closed-circuit option be needed.?

The motions scheduled for Friday included a request for further continuance, resolution of discovery matters and whether the accused should?receive the services of an expert neurologist at government expense. It was unclear when the motions would be addressed.

Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.?If convicted, he could face life without parole or the death penalty.?

?Eight soldiers and five civilians were killed in the Nov. 5, 2009, attack on the Army base in Texas. Hasan?was wounded and paralyzed from the chest down before being captured.

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