boston bombing trial Opening statements next week

Associated Press

BOSTON

Opening statements in the trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will take place next week, a court official announced Wednesday after the judge qualified enough prospective jurors to move on to the final stage of jury selection.

Early next week, Tsarnaev’s lawyers and prosecutors will be allowed to eliminate 23 jurors each for strategic reasons. A final panel of 12 jurors and six alternates then will be seated for the trial.

Opening statements from both sides are expected Wednesday, with testimony set to begin immediately afterward.

Jury selection began Jan. 5 and took much longer than Judge George O’Toole Jr. originally anticipated. The process was slowed by a series of powerful snowstorms that dumped several feet of snow on Boston.

It also was slowed by lengthy individual questioning by the judge, prosecutors and Tsarnaev’s lawyers. Many prospective jurors said they already believe Tsarnaev is guilty and they could not be impartial. Others expressed a moral objection to the death penalty and said they could not impose it under any circumstances. Many described personal connections to the case that would make it difficult for them to be impartial.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers have argued repeatedly that the trial should be moved out of Massachusetts. The case heads to the final stage of jury selection even as the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering Tsarnaev’s latest request to move the trial. The appeals court heard oral arguments last week but has not yet issued its ruling.