FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — A military judge in Central Texas again says the suspect in the Fort Hood shooting spree is banned from court until he shaves his beard.

Col. Gregory Gross said Friday that top Army officials have rejected Maj. Nidal Hasan's request for a religious exemption due to his Islamic faith. An appeals court also denied a defense request to overturn the judge's decision last week to bar Hasan from future hearings unless he shaves.

Hasan's beard violates Army regulations. He watched Friday's hearing from a closed-circuit TV in a nearby room.

The Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 attack that claimed 13 lives faces the death penalty if convicted.

The judge ruled Friday to not delay the trial, which is scheduled for Aug. 20. The trial previously had been delayed twice.