Judge: Paris Attacks No Excuse to Delay Boston Bombing Jury Selection
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FBI(BOSTON) — Another attempt by lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to delay the start of his trial has been rejected by a judge.
This time, Tsarnaev’s attorneys argued that events in France last week would make it difficult to seat an impartial jury because they mirrored what occurred in Boston two years ago when three people were killed and more than 260 injured near the finish line of the marathon.
The defense lawyers argued that people currently being interviewed for the jury were not instructed to keep from following news about the attacks in Paris that left 17 people dead.
However, District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. rejected the request for the delay, contending that an impartial jury could be seated based on questionnaires filled out by potential jurors.
Tsarnaev’s attorneys have failed twice before to win a delay in the trial and O’Toole has also turned down their request for a change of venue from Boston.
Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 counts, the most serious of which could put the 21-year-old on death row if he’s convicted.
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