The Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial won’t commence on Monday, Jan 26., as originally expected, as Judge George O’Toole, the prosecution and defense continue to vet potential jurors.
On the first day of jury selection, some 40 potential people were brought in to be considered for a spot on the bench. By the start of day three, only 34 people had been questioned. As of Thursday, Jan. 22, just 61 people have been questioned and questioning will continue until the court finds 70 qualified jurors.
Daniel Medwed, a professor of law at Northeastern University School of Law, told BostInno that this is a precautionary move and will allow each legal side to carefully consider who may best represent a jury of Tsarnaev’s peers.
“In capital cases, jury selection often takes a while, and for good reason,” Medwed told BostInno. “With the ultimate penalty at stake, it is in everyone’s interests to impanel the most impartial jury possible.”
According to Buzzfeed, Ginny Hurley, the outreach coordinator for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, suggests the same thing. The process, she told the outlet, “in the interest of thoroughness is taking longer than originally anticipated.”
This case in particular is more about whether or not Tsarnaev will be sentenced to capital punishment than his guilt or innocence.
“An additional [consideration] here is the scale of the harm caused by the incident,” added Medwed. “Many people in Eastern Massachusetts were directly or indirectly affected by the events of the Marathon bombing and the subsequent search for the suspects; this means that many potential jurors might be deemed unsuitable because of their experiences.”
Tsarnaev stands accused of detonating two pressure cooker bombs at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 264. He’s also the suspect behind the killing of MIT police officer Sean Collier, who was shot while sitting in his cruiser. Seventeen of the 30 charges levied against him carry the weight of capital punishment.
A new start date for the trial has not yet been identified.
