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| D. Tsarnaev |
BOSTON — Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was seen publicly in court Thursday for the first time since he was arraigned on 30 federal charges in July, 2013.
Tsarnaev was in court for the final pre-trial hearing before his trial, which is set to begin Jan. 5. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are discussing the ground rules for the trial, which is expected to take several months.
Security was tight and the court room was packed as people strained to be the first to get a look at Tsarnaev. Fourteen victims of the attacks sat together on one side of the galley. Members of the media and general public occupied 60 seats on benches.
Tsarnaev, 21, gave a small, seemingly nervous, smile to his lawyers upon entering the courtroom. He had a scruffy beard and a mopped head of wavy, uncombed hair. He wore a black sweater and open-necked collared shirt.
U.S. District Judge George O'Toole Jr. asked him four questions, inquiring whether he had elected to be absent in prior status conferences and whether his lawyers had kept him apprised of the proceedings.
"Yes sir," Tsarnaev said.
O'Toole also asked if he's been satisfied with his legal representation.
"Very much," Tsarnaev said. When O'Toole asked if he would like a private meeting with him to discuss his representation, Tsarnaev declined.
Thursday's hearing is the last chance to ask the judge for new ground rules for the trial. Tsarnaev's lawyers recently filed a new motion seeking, for the second time, to have the trial moved out of Boston, where they fear their client will not be treated fairly.
O'Toole rejected Tsarnaev's first request in September to move the trial, ruling that Tsarnaev's lawyers had failed to show that extensive pretrial media coverage of the bombings had prejudiced the jury pool to the point that an impartial jury could not be chosen in Boston.
Tsarnaev's lawyers previously said the trial should be moved to Washington, D.C.
Source: USA Today, G. Jeffrey MacDonald, December 18, 2014
