(KCEN) -- The Army Court of Criminal Appeals has ruled in favor with Judge Gregory Gross that accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan must appear clean shaven in court.
The court agreed with Gross that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act did not give Hasan the right to have a beard in court. They upheld the claim by Gross that the beard was not an expression of sincere religious belief. The court also said that if Hasan did wear the beard for sincere religious reasons, government interest justified him having to apply with military standards.
The six previous cases where Hasan was found in contempt of court and fined $1,000 each time were also upheld.
Two of the Army Court of Criminal Appeals judges did say that Gross' ruling for Hasan to be clean shaven showed bias against Hasan, but the majority disagreed, saying Gross was not being biased.
Hasan's defense attorneys have already announced plans to appeal today's ruling.
