MANASSAS, Va. - A Prince William County Circuit Court judge appointed a second attorney yesterday to defend sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad, giving him two seasoned lawyers with experience in high-profile cases.
During a 10-minute hearing, Judge LeRoy F. Millette Jr. delayed setting a trial date and named Alexandria-based lawyer Jonathan Shapiro co-counsel with Peter Greenspun of Fairfax, who represented Muhammad yesterday in court.
Shapiro and Greenspun are also paired in a Fairfax County triple homicide case set to go to trial next month. Edward Y. Chen is accused of shooting his parents and his older brother in 1995.
Greenspun defended sportscaster Marv Albert in 1997 on assault charges stemming from a sexual encounter in Arlington, Va. Albert pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and had his record cleared after more than a year of good behavior.
After yesterday's hearing, Greenspun lashed out at law enforcement officers who leaked information about the case, most notably the reports of a seven-hour interrogation last week of the second sniper suspect, 17-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo.
"There are cowards in law enforcement who wanted to taint the jury pool," he said, "and who wanted to seal ... this case."
In the courtroom, the 49-year-old lawyer seemed at ease, enthusiastically shaking hands with Prince William Commonwealth's Attorney Paul B. Ebert and conferring briefly with him and his prosecution team before the hearing.
Greenspun told Ebert that he had no desire to hinder a speedy court process but that he needed more time with Muhammad before the court set a trial date. The judge postponed assigning a trial date until a Dec. 12 hearing.
Again wearing a bright-orange prison jumpsuit, Muhammad said just four words - "yes, sir" and "no, sir" - during yesterday's hearing.
The 41-year-old also had almost no interaction with his lawyer, other than a nudge from Greenspun encouraging him to stand when addressing the judge. Greenspun later said his client has been "completely cooperative with me."
Col. Glendell Hill, superintendent of the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center, where Muhammad has been held for the past week, said the man suspected in 10 shooting deaths across Maryland, Virginia and Washington has met with his attorney several times.
Those interactions, two court appearances and a daily hourlong recreational period are the only times Muhammad has been out of his cell, Hill said.
Muhammad, though not in solitary confinement, has no contact with other inmates - a typical security measure for anyone charged with a capital crime, Hill said.
"No one with the notoriety of Muhammad" has passed through the detention center, said Hill, superintendent for more than 10 years. Muhammad is expected to remain there until the end of the trial.
Hill said he was given about 2 1/2 hours' notice before Muhammad arrived Nov. 7.
"We had to make preparations fairly quickly," Hill said, adding that Muhammad has not been a disciplinary problem. A guard is assigned to watch over his cell.
Greenspun, who requested Shapiro as co-counsel, spoke highly of the lawyer during and after the hearing.
"He is one of the finest people and finest attorneys you will ever meet," Greenspun said later.
Michael W. Lieberman, 37, was hired by Shapiro in 1992 and considers the 53-year-old lawyer a mentor. Lieberman later became a solo practitioner but continued to share office space with Shapiro until January.
"He is creative, energetic, enthusiastic, and he has everything that a defense attorney should have," said Lieberman, now with the Federal Public Defenders Office.
Shapiro and Greenspun have worked together several times over the years, Lieberman said. "They're a great team."
Both men are strong litigators, Lieberman said, and Shapiro "does not shy away from controversial cases."
An associate in Shapiro's office said yesterday that he is preparing for several trials.
Among them is the federal death penalty case against Brian Regan, a retired Air Force sergeant who has been accused of spying. That trial is set to begin at the end of this month.
The Chen case is scheduled to begin Dec. 9. Shapiro and Greenspun scored a pretrial victory last week when a judge suppressed incriminating statements the 27-year-old defendant made to police.
Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Robert F. Horan Jr., who is also prosecuting Malvo, is not seeking the death penalty in the Chen case.
Greenspun said he has been involved in about 20 murder and manslaughter cases, including two capital cases.
Although Ebert has said he will likely introduce evidence from other shootings attributed to Muhammad and Malvo, the Prince William case centers on Dean H. Meyers, a Gaithersburg resident who was shot in the head while pumping gasoline at a Sunoco off Interstate 66.
Dennis Ocampo, who owns the station, said he and his employees will follow the trial.
"A lot of our customers are glad we're trying him here," Ocampo said. "I think it's the right decision. My employees think it's the right decision. We have the best penalties."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.