What Happens Next In Marathon Bomber's Death Penalty Trial

Prosecutors are likely to focus on their contention that the brothers were partners in the plan to bomb innocent people to get back at the U.S. for wars in Muslim countries. The jury must reach a verdict on 30 federal charges, including use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, bombing of a place of public use resulting in death and the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer several days after the bombings. If Tsarnaev is convicted, which is widely expected given that his lawyers admitted he participated in the bombings, the same jury will hear additional evidence in the second phase of the trial to determine Tsarnaev's punishment. In their notice of intent to seek the death penalty, prosecutors cited a number of aggravating factors outlined in the federal death penalty law, including their allegation that he committed the offense in an especially heinous, cruel and depraved manner; committed the crime after substantial planning and premeditation; and that he is responsible for the death of 8-year-old Martin Richard, a victim who was particularly vulnerable because of his youth. Other aggravating factors cited by prosecutors include their claim that he has shown a lack of remorse and that he targeted the Boston Marathon because it draws large crowds, making it particularly susceptible to an act of terrorism. Some mitigating factors listed in the federal death penalty act include the defendant being under "unusual and substantial duress;" the defendant's participation in the offense being relatively minor; and the defendant committing the offense under "severe mental or emotional disturbance." Even though Tsarnaev faces federal charges in the killing of MIT police Officer Sean Collier and in a violent confrontation with police in Watertown days after the bombings, he also faces state charges for those crimes.

BING NEWS:
  • Prosecutors weighing next step in death penalty case against Boston Marathon bomber
    Marc Fucarile, a Marathon survivor who lost his leg in the blast, said it was “ridiculous” that Tsarnaev is able to appeal his death sentence by claiming juror bias even though he admitted to the ...
    03/22/2024 - 11:07 am | View Link
  • Boston Marathon bomber's death sentence up in air as court orders juror bias probe
    A federal appeals court on Thursday ordered Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's case to be returned to a lower court to probe claims of juror bias.
    03/22/2024 - 4:10 am | View Link
  • Appeals court orders judge to probe claims of juror bias in Boston Marathon bomber's case
    he should vacate Tsarnaev's sentence and hold a new penalty-phase trial to determine whether Tsarnaev should be sentenced to death, the appeals court said. "And even then, we once again emphasize ...
    03/22/2024 - 12:24 am | View Link
  • Boston Marathon bomber’s case thrown back to lower court for probe of ‘juror bias’
    The appeals court has said the trial judge should hold a new penalty-phase trial to determine whether Tsarnaev should be sentenced to death if it is found that either juror should have been ...
    03/21/2024 - 2:16 pm | View Link
  • Appeals court orders judge to investigate juror bias in Boston Marathon bomber’s case
    The US First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston wrote that if the district court finds that the jurors were biased, then the Marathon bomber is entitled to a new trial on whether he should be ...
    03/21/2024 - 1:08 pm | View Link
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