The Boston Marathon bombing trial will not be delayed.
U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. denied Wednesday a request by the attorneys of suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to delay jury selection because fear potential jurors would be prejudiced by the recent terror attacks in France, according to The Boston Globe.
“My detailed review of juror questionnaires in preparation for voir dire has so far confirmed, rather then undermined, my judgment that a fair and impartial jury can and will be chosen to determine the issues in this case,” O’Toole said in a ruling filed in federal court in Boston.
Lawyers for Tsarnaev also previously questioned whether a jury can be fair and impartial because of the trial’s location so close to the Boston region. Their attempts to move the trial have failed.
Jury selection is now underway for the trial of Tsarnaev, 21, who along with his late brother allegedly carried out the April 15, 2013, bombings that exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 260.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Tsarnaev.
