WASHINGTON, January 22 (Sputnik) — A new start date for opening statements in the trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev would likely be announced next week, a court official told Sputnik on Thursday, after the judge determined a thorough process of selecting a jury will take longer than expected.
“The process of selecting a jury for the trial of US v. Tsarnaev is progressing, but in the interest of thoroughness is taking longer than originally anticipated. As a result, the previously estimated date for the start of the presentation of the case, January 26, is not realistic,” a spokesperson for the US District Court in the District of Massachusetts, told Sputnik. “We expect to be able to give… an updated advisory regarding a probable start date sometime next week.”
Jury selection for the Tsarnaev trial began on January 5. Twelve jurors and six alternates are to be selected from more than 1,000 candidates.
Tsarnaev’s defense lawyers had previously sought to change the location of the trial away from the Boston area, arguing the pool of potential jurors would be biased by media coverage and the impact the bombing had on the community. US District Judge George O'Toole denied the defense a change of location, as well as repeated requests to postpone the trial in order for the defense to prepare its case.
The Boston Marathon bombings, which took place on April 15, 2013, killed three people and injured more than 260. The Tsarnaev brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan were identified as suspects. Tamerlan was killed in a shoot-out with police four days after the marathon attack.
Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Dzhokhar, who faces 30 charges, half of which carry the death penalty. In his first public court appearance in July, 2013, he pleaded not guilty to all charges put to him.
Judge O'Toole, who is overseeing the trial, said at the beginning of jury selection on January 5 that should Tsarnaev be convicted, the jury will decide on whether or not to impose the death penalty federal prosecutors are seeking.
