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In a brief trial in Greenbelt, Maryland, Coast Guard lieutenant Hasson wore a brown suit and answered several questions from Judge Gina L. Simms about the charges.
Hasson was charged in February with unlawful possession of two mis-registered mufflers, possession of a narcotic opioid and 17 firearms as an illegal user and addict of a controlled substance. If he is found guilty of all four counts, he could be sentenced to 31 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Hasson wanted to commit a massacre and exposed his views on white supremacy in court documents, but he has been able to charge him only with less serious crimes. allowed his lawyers to challenge the detention.
The case highlights the problem prosecutors face in prosecuting individuals suspected of domestic terrorism, when there is no criminal charge for domestic terrorism.
In a note on detention last month, prosecutors called Hasson a "national terrorist, determined to commit acts dangerous to human life intended to affect the behavior of the government."
The note refers to two draft e-mails written by Hasson to express his "extremist views" and his white nationalist ideology.
"I dream of a way to kill almost every person on earth," wrote Hasson in a message.
"Targeted violence," writes Hasson in another article, is the solution to a "white homeland".
Hasson, 49, has been in detention since he was indicted last month. On Monday, a prosecutor estimated that a trial on the new charges would take five days.
The Deputy Federal Public Defender, Elizabeth Oyer, who represents Hasson, did not dispute her client's detention at the hearing and declined to comment later on the reporters when she asked him if she planned to do it later.
But during a court appearance last month, a different public defender, representing Hasson, asserted that he should not be kept on bail just for drug and drug cases. weapons.
Julie Stelzig said: "It's not a crime to think negatively about people … or catastrophic scenarios." "We are not yet a society that criminalizes people for their thoughts … or holds them for their Internet searches."
Some law enforcement experts say that prosecutors have their hands tied when prosecutions are initiated against domestic terrorists, as opposed to alleged conspirators who pledge allegiance to a foreign terrorist group, as the authorities do not formally designate terrorists. national terrorist groups and it is not illegal to support them.
"This case is the stumbling block to the reason why we need a national terrorism law," said Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor and CNN analyst.
"I'm sure the American attorney said:" It's the biggest case I know and all I have are some lame accusations, "Honig said. "When the guy is stopped before actually launching the attack, and that he's a lone wolf and he's acting for national terrorism reasons, it's like this." that the case really falls between the cracks. "
Because Hasson has not linked his alleged plot to an international terrorist ideology and has no criminal record or alleged co-conspirator, his case lacks a number of legal pitfalls that would allow prosecutors to accuse him of a heavier crime.
And while Hasson is accused of plotting to assassinate politicians and journalists, he has not gone far enough with his so-called plan for prosecutors to accuse of attempted murder, Honig said.
"It's like intentional killing, which is not really a crime," Honig said.
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