These hearings were just pre-trial hearings that had no effect on the beginning of the actual trial. There is a FReeper who is involved in this case and he gave a very good explanation of what these hearings were about. This was just a side show orchestrated by his civilian attorney trying to muck up the works. The Presiding Judge only let it go on as long as it could to make sure there was no recourse for shaving this bastard’s neck with a machete, figuratively speaking but still making sure we, the human race, can count on his extermination at the very earliest time.
Civilian lawyers have done what they can to muck up the UCMJ. As first written it was in language that a mere laymen could interpret. Now, it is has become muddy so that lawyers can do anything except bribe the jurors.