boston bombing Lawyers oppose delay of trial

Associated Press

BOSTON

Federal prosecutors are opposing a request by lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to delay the start of his trial until September.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Jan. 5.

Tsarnaev, 21, has pleaded not guilty to 30 charges and if convicted could face the death penalty.

In a court filing Wednesday, prosecutors rejected complaints by defense attorneys about their ability to digest the enormous volume of material provided by the government as the trial approaches.

Prosecutors said much of that information was demanded by the defense and voluntarily turned over by the government “in the spirit of openness.”

“Tsarnaev should not be heard to complain about the receipt of information that he himself has requested and that the government had no legal obligation to provide earlier [or at all],” prosecutors wrote.