Marathon bombing suspect’s lawyers invoke McVeigh

Author: Associated Press
Published:
MGN Online

BOSTON (AP) – Lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev seeking to have his trial moved out of Massachusetts again drew parallels Monday between the media coverage of their client’s case to the coverage received by Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

It would be impossible to select impartial jurors, defense attorneys wrote in a filing Monday, because “the crimes charged inflicted actual injury on the entire local population” and “greater Boston, was itself, a victim.”

Defense attorneys said “adverse pretrial publicity and leaks continue unabated,” and “media saturation can only be expected to intensify” as the trial – and the anniversary of the explosions – nears.

McVeigh’s 1997 trial was moved to Denver. He was ultimately put to death for the bombing that killed 168 people and injured hundreds more.

Monday’s motion was in response to the prosecution’s opposition to the defense’s change-of-venue request. Prosecutors say impartial juries have been selected for previous high-profile trials.

The U.S. attorney’s office did not return a call for comment Monday.

The defense asked the judge to hold a hearing on their request.

A judge rejected Tsarnaev’s first request in September to move the trial. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Jan. 5.

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

Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when two bombs exploded near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.

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