Death penalty decision looms for Boston bomb suspect

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters

BY RICHARD VALDMANIS
BOSTON Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:16pm EST

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will decide this week whether to seek the death penalty for suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, accused of setting off two pressure-cooker bombs at the finish line of the world-renowned race.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he would announce his decision before a Friday deadline set by a U.S. District Court Judge in Boston.

Tsarnaev, a 20-year-old ethnic Chechen, is accused of detonating the home-made bombs along with his older brother, Tamerlan, who was killed during a shootout with police several days after the April 15 attack.

Three people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed in the blasts, which marked the worst attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001. Another 264 people were injured by shrapnel, many of them losing limbs.

-snip-



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/29/us-usa-explosions-boston-idUSBREA0S24720140129

[PeteSelman]

1. It's not really a tough decision.

He indiscriminately killed three people and maimed many more. Without a second thought. He's got to go and right soon. No dallying for years on end. There's no point, he's absolutely guilty. This is a no doubt about it case. There is no chance they'll be getting the wrong guy.

[another_liberal]

2. ". . . which marked the worst attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001."

The scores of people killed in several mass shootings don't count, of course.

[MH1]

12. ^^^ This.

I don't know how the author of the article could even type that b.s.

[Gore1FL]

3. The death penalty is wrong in all cases.

I'd prefer him to live a long boring life of reflection in a cell next to Terry Nichols and Zacarias Moussaoui.

[Scootaloo]

8. +1

I look forward to the day that at least progressive Americans can tell the difference between revenge and justice.

[flamingdem]

4. The victims wishes should be respected

I hope they are consulted.

[davidpdx]

14. I agree

A long trial will do no good for the victims and their families, but make them relive that horrible day. If the prosecution is smart they'll put an offer on the table for a very limited time allowing him to plead guilty in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table.

[hack89]

22. They have - and there is support for both sides of the issue.

so either way, some of the victims will not get their wishes respected.

[jakeXT]

5. Is he still in solitary confinement?

For now, Tsarnaev is being kept in solitary confinement in a prison near Boston, without access to media or prayer services, as per a government "Special Administrative Measure" designed to prevent incarcerated terrorists from inciting violence. The measure also prevents him from speaking confidentially with his lawyers, and prohibits them from discussing their conversations with Tsarnaev, or relaying messages from him.

Tsarnaev's lawyers challenged that measure last month and argued at Tuesday's hearing that it prevented them from building a fair case in his defense.

"This is not a level playing field," defense attorney Miriam Conrad told the court. "It appears the government is trying to retain every possible advantage in this case for itself."

"I agree enough with the defendant," Judge O'Toole said, according to ABC News. "It may concern adequate preparation for the case."

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2013/1112/Is-Dzhokhar-Tsarnaev-getting-fair-trial-Judge-sympathetic-to-concerns.-video

[Mass]

6. Easy - Boston people , when polled, asked for life in prison. MA has abolished death penalty in 1984

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/29/us-usa-explosions-boston-idUSBREA0S24720140129

May be following the law of the state it happened would make sense, as would getting rid of death penalty altogether and rejoin the list of civilized nations?

[abq e streeter]

7. If he's convicted, that's too good for him.Let him rot for decades staring at the walls of his cell.

Besides my belief that the state has no right to kill.

[marble falls]

9. And I'm still against the death penalty.

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. Whatever the decision, I hope his life is short,

and completely miserable, but very short.

[7962]

11. Fine, give him life and general population.

The problem will take care of itself.

[Comrade Grumpy]

13. Charming. n/t

[warrant46]

16. Amazing how the keyboard commandos turn into right wing revenge baiters

On this site How progressive !!

[7962]

18. You dont have to be "right wing" to support the death penalty. Read the # of supportive posts.

PLENTY of DUers back the DP. ANd the majority of the country. The law just needs to be changed so we dont have to worry about convicting an innocent And prosecutors who got illegal convictions in the past need to go to JAIL.
Seems odd that a progressive site would insist on rigid compliance by all on all issues. Besides, I said let "the system" deal with him, much like it does with pedophiles. Hardly makes me a commando. If that were the case I'd be boasting how I'd take him out myself.

[warrant46]

19. I certainly wasn't referring to you

However consider this---

How do you unring a Bell ?

[7962]

20. Thanks. And the bell? Thats why I want the laws changed. No more grandstanding DAs.

If you look back at the cases where people have been released, almost all involve prosecutorial misconduct and a LOT of it is intentional. Withholding evidence or fabricating evidence is the worst. Which is why I believe any DAs caught doing this should be disbarred and put in jail. There ARE cases where there is no doubt as to the guilt. The first one that comes to my mind and also
the most frustrating case is the Atlanta courthouse shooter. There was NO DOUBT he was guilty, yet he got a handful of big name lawyers and spent millions on his defense. And this was the initial case, not appeals. Took THREE YEARS to come to trial. It bankrupted the county indigent budget. I still dont know how it was allowed, but it was. If you're not from the area and unfamiliar with it, look it up, it was ridiculous how long and how expensive this case was for a case where it was impossible for anyone else to be guilty. And he got life!

[snot]

15. A disappointingly lot of rush to judgment here.

Let's at least not kill him, in case we can learn something from him.

[AtheistCrusader]

21. I don't want to kill him.

Horrible as the crimes he is accused of, I don't want his blood on my hands. Not even a fractional percentage of it, as a member of a society that kills people in the name of justice.

[soundsgreat]

17. "the government might have a completely erroneous story"

“The government has taken the position that, ‘Look, we know what we have and you don’t need to know about it,’ ” attorney Judy Clarke told U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. “It’s of concern that the government thinks it can make a decision based on what they know without some defense input. They may have a completely erroneous story.”

It's amazing how many hate speakers emerge on this "progressive" forum here.