By NOMAAN MERCHANT and MICHAEL GRACZYK
Associated Press
FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - The lead prosecutor in the Fort Hood shooting trial seems to be a quality-control specialist, watching for any mistakes or oversights that could bolster an appeal.
Col. Michael Mulligan whispers to fellow prosecutors, prompting them to ask additional questions. He watches the jury and asks witnesses to slow down if jurors seem frustrated or unable to hear.
Such efforts may seem superfluous considering Maj. Nidal Hasan has put up little defense as he stands trial for 2009 attack that killed 13 people at the Texas military base. But military appeals courts have overturned most death sentences they review.
Mulligan has served in high-level Army positions in Iraq, Germany and the U.S. But he's also a rarity in the military justice system because he's successfully put a soldier on death row.
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