Accessibility links

Languages
site logo site logo
Previous Next
Breaking News
USA

Jury Selection Begins for Boston Marathon Bombing Trial

In this courtroom sketch, defense attorney Judy Clarke is depicted addressing the jury as defendant Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, right, sits during closing arguments in Tsarnaev's federal death penalty trial, April 6, 2015, in Boston.
1/8 In this courtroom sketch, defense attorney Judy Clarke is depicted addressing the jury as defendant Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, right, sits during closing arguments in Tsarnaev's federal death penalty trial, April 6, 2015, in Boston.
FILE - In this courtroom sketch, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, center, is depicted between defense attorneys Miriam Conrad, left, and Judy Clarke, right, during his federal death penalty trial.
2/8 FILE - In this courtroom sketch, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, center, is depicted between defense attorneys Miriam Conrad, left, and Judy Clarke, right, during his federal death penalty trial.
Judy Clarke, left, and David Bruck, defense attorneys for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, will try to prevent his getting a death sentence. They're shown at the federal courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, April 6, 2015.
3/8 Judy Clarke, left, and David Bruck, defense attorneys for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, will try to prevent his getting a death sentence. They're shown at the federal courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, April 6, 2015.
A police dog sniffs near news cameras outside the U.S. Courthouse during the first day of the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial, in Boston, Massachusetts, March 4, 2015.
4/8 A police dog sniffs near news cameras outside the U.S. Courthouse during the first day of the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial, in Boston, Massachusetts, March 4, 2015.
A still image captured from surveillance video at the Boston Marathon shows the scene moments before a second bomb exploded as a man, marked with a circle by prosecutors (top R) and identified by them as defendant Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, moves rapidly away fro
5/8 A still image captured from surveillance video at the Boston Marathon shows the scene moments before a second bomb exploded as a man, marked with a circle by prosecutors (top R) and identified by them as defendant Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, moves rapidly away fro
A still image entered as evidence shows the boat where Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hid after a gunfight with police in this handout photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston, Massachusetts, March 17, 2015.
6/8 A still image entered as evidence shows the boat where Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hid after a gunfight with police in this handout photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston, Massachusetts, March 17, 2015.
A blood-stained message that prosecutors say Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrote on the inside of a boat is seen with bullet holes in an undated evidence picture shown to jurors in Boston, March 10, 2015.
7/8 A blood-stained message that prosecutors say Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrote on the inside of a boat is seen with bullet holes in an undated evidence picture shown to jurors in Boston, March 10, 2015.
FILE - A portion of a pressure-cooker bomb recovered from a blast site at the Boston Marathon bombing is displayed for the media in a conference room.
8/8 FILE - A portion of a pressure-cooker bomb recovered from a blast site at the Boston Marathon bombing is displayed for the media in a conference room.
Previous slide
Next slide

Jury selection for the trial of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokar Tsarnaev is underway, with the 21-year-old accused killer present.

The process to select 12 jurors and six alternates started early in the day, as Tsarnaev sat with his lawyers in the jury assembly room of the Boston, Massachusetts, courthouse.

Presiding judge George O'Toole explained to potential jurors they may be aware of the bombings, but they will have to decide the case based strictly on evidence presented in court.

Tsarnaev is charged with 30 offenses in the deaths of three people and injuries to 260 others after two homemade bombs exploded at the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.

He faces the death penalty if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The trial is to begin January 26 and is is expected to last three to four months.

Tsarnaev, a naturalized U.S. citizen with roots is Russia's North Caucasus, is also charged with fatally shooting a university police officer three days after the bombing, as he and his brother, Tamerlan, tried to flee the area after they were identified as suspects. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police.

Some information for this report came from AP and Reuters.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

Related

​
XS
SM
MD
LG