![Moussaoui lawyers granted access to pre-9/11 US documents](https://www.jurist.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/jurist-white-text.png)
[JURIST] A federal judge has said that the government must turn over documents detailing what the US knew before the Sept. 11 attacks to defense lawyers for Zacarias Moussaoui [JURIST news archive], in an order [PDF text] made public on Wednesday. In 2005, Moussaoui pleaded guilty [JURIST report] to conspiracy charges [indictment] in connection with the attacks. The sentencing phase will begin next month. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty on the theory that if Moussaoui had originally told investigators what he knew about al Qaeda's plans, the attacks could have been prevented. Defense lawyers will now have access to threat assessments and other documents relating to Moussaoui's arrest in order to make their counterargument that the government had more information than he could have provided and still couldn't prevent the attacks. The jury can sentence Moussaoui to either death or life imprisonment. AP has more.