Boston Bomber trial begins today, what you need to know

Boston Bomber trial begins today, what you need to know

Opening statements begin today. Here's all you need to know to be up to speed on the Boston Marathon Bomber case.

It could very well be the most closely watched court case in years. The trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the alleged Boston Marathon Bomber, is to begin today with opening statements from the defense and prosecution. Here’s what you need to know about the case.

In April 2013, Tsarnaev, 19, and his older brother, Tamerlan, 26, are accused of exploding homemade bombs amidst the crowd of the famous Boston Marathon. The bombs were build inside pressure cookers filled with nails and other shrapnel. Three people were killed and 260 wounded.

The attack was followed by a citywide manhunt for the two brothers. Boston was effectively shut down as police went door to door searching for the suspects. A MIT police officer was shot and killed as the brothers made their way through Cambridge.

The chase finally ended in Watertown with a firefight that killed Tamerlan and serious wounded Tsarnaev, who was hiding in a boat in a resident’s backyard. The boat is considered evidence but has been deemed too large to be brought into the courtroom.

Tsarnaev now faces 30 charges, 17 of which carry the penalty of death. Massachusetts does not have the death penalty; however, because the case is being carried out by the Federal Court, lethal injection is an option.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers have tried five times to move the case out of Massachusetts and failed every time.

The defense is being led by attorney Judy Clarke, a well known lawyer who has saved a number of terrorists from the death penalty before, including the Unabomber Ted Kacyzski. The defense is expected to portray Tsarnaev as a naïve 19-year-old who was only following the orders of his dangerous, radicalized older brother.

The prosecution will be led by assistant US attorney William Weinreb. The prosecution is expected to make the case that Tsarnaev was a willing and informed participant in the attacks.

The jury and alternates consist of ten women and eight men who range the socioeconomic scale but are mostly all white. The same jury will be present for both phases of the trial. The first phase will ascertain whether or not Tsarnaev is guilty; the second phase will decide his punishment.

The trial is expected to last three to four months and will take place in the US District Court in Boston under very heavy security. Dozens of federal security officers as well as local police officers will be stationed inside and outside the courthouse. There will also be US Coast Guard boats patrolling Boston Harbor.

There will most likely be victims, first responders, and marathon spectators among the witnesses.

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