Washington, January 25: Jared Loughner, the suspect involved in an attempt to assassinate Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and two of her aides, has pleaded ‘not guilty.’
In his first response to the charges, Loughner smiled broadly throughout the hearing, including the moment when his lawyer entered his plea of ‘not guilty,’ the daily Guardian reported witnesses inside the courtroom as saying Tuesday.
At his court hearing, Loughner denied trying to kill Giffords and two of her aides.
The accused is alleged to have opened fire on Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, where she was meeting with her constituents on January 8. Six people were killed and 13 wounded in the shootout.
Loughner also faces five federal charges and is highly likely to receive Arizona state charges as well. If convicted, he will face the death penalty.
How his lawyers planned to defend him against the charges was not clearly mentioned as Judge Larry Burns said they were “not raising any issues at this time” with regards to Loughner’s ability to understand the charges.
The full extent of Loughner’s charges will be revealed on March 9 when he faces his next court date.
——–Agencies