Second trial would be ‘heartbreaking’ for Boston Marathon victims, U.S. attorney mulls appeal
The day after President Trump called for a “do-over” in seeking the death penalty against convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the U.S. attorney said his office is still mulling an appeal.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said his office is continuing to review a federal appellate court’s Friday decision to toss out the death sentence and would “have more information in the coming days and weeks.”
The government has two weeks to file a petition for an appeal, but could request an extension.
The ruling ripped open old wounds for the families of the three people who died and the more than 260 who were injured in the April 15, 2013, twin bombings on Boylston Street at the end of the Boston Marathon route.
Karen Brassard, who spoke for the victims in front of the Moakley Courthouse in the Seaport the day Tsarnaev’s death sentence was handed down, said on Monday she “sobbed for an hour and a half and hadn’t slept for two days” since learning of the court’s decision to throw out the sentence.
“I do want them to pursue (an appeal) because I do think that’s justice,” said Brassard, who was injured in the bombing along with her husband and daughter. “It’s heartbreaking to say that though, knowing people will suffer because of (a new trial).”
Trump on Sunday called for a “do-over” in the case on Twitter.
Gregory Joseph, communications director for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, condemned Trump’s comments about the case on Twitter and accused the president of “politicizing” the issue and making it more difficult for justice to be served.
“It’s inappropriate for him to be weighing in on individual cases for a number of reasons,” Joseph said. “It tampers the jury pool — if we’re looking to get an unbiased jury, the president pushing his opinion doesn’t help.”
The Friday appellate court ruling found the judge in the case didn’t question jurors to the degree set by former precedent in highly publicized cases.
Capital punishment resumed recently at the federal level under the Trump administration after a 17-year hiatus.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3kbHK4X
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