Appeals Court Denies Attempt by Boston Marathon Bomber to Remove Judge Overseeing Death Penalty Appeal
Share this @internewscast.com

A federal appeals court has rejected a motion by Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s legal team to disqualify the judge presiding over his death sentence appeal.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers argued for Judge George O’Toole’s removal due to his participation in a podcast and public forums about organizing complex jury trials, as reported by WCVB.

The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, in their succinct two-page decision, asserted that Judge O’Toole’s involvement in “two panel discussions and a podcast related to complex jury trial organization and social media issues” did not qualify as a reason for his disqualification, as noted by The Associated Press.

The previous year, the appeals court had instructed O’Toole to examine potential juror biases affecting the penalty phase of Tsarnaev’s trial and, if such bias was confirmed, to initiate a fresh penalty trial.

Convicted in 2015 for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that claimed three lives, including that of an 8-year-old boy, and injured hundreds, Tsarnaev’s death sentence was set aside by the appeals court in 2020. They determined jurors weren’t adequately vetted for media bias about the case, but the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence two years later.

The appeals court later ordered O’Toole to look at “the possible bias of two jurors at issue.”

While Tsarnaev’s conviction remains uncontested by his attorneys, they argue his actions were heavily influenced by his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died following a police shootout days post-bombing. At the time of the attack, Tamerlan was 26, and Dzhokhar, 19.

Tsarnaev was convicted on all 30 counts against him and is currently on death row at a supermax prison in Colorado.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Police Car Struck During Pursuit Following Home Invasion

Five men as young as 16 have been arrested after allegedly breaking…

Suspected Murderer Caught in Peru After Wife’s Body Discovered in California Woods

A man accused of murdering and dumping his wife’s body in a…

Man Charged Following Deadly Hit-And-Run in Gregory Hills

A driver has been charged after a man was hit by a…

Murderer Provokingly Mocked by Family of His Pregnant Former Partner

Inset left: Nicole Cunigan (Montgomery County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office). Inset top right:…

Gainesville Man Arrested for Possession of Stolen Gun and Burglary with Battery Warrant

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jacari Quashon Robinson, 31, was taken into…

Oklahoma Woman Arrested After 11-Year-Old Stepdaughter Becomes Pregnant

The grandmother of an 11-year-old Oklahoma girl who gave birth to her…

Trump Turns to Supreme Court Following Ruling on ‘Unconstitutional’ Tariffs

President Donald Trump speaks during a lunch with African leaders in the…

Utah Attorney General Pursues Murder Charges in Fatal Fire Despite County Ruling It a ‘Tragic Accident’

Utah state officials have recently charged a man with murder following a…

Teenager Shot in Road Rage Incident Dies, Baby Survives

Inset: Barry West (Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff”s Office). Background: Katelynn Strate (GoFundMe).  A…

Ex-Megachurch Pastor Arrested in Florida Following Child Sex Abuse Charges in Massachusetts

A former pastor of a Baltimore megachurch indicted earlier this year on…

Husband fatally attacks Marine suspected of being involved with his wife

Inset top: Brandon Morrissette (Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office). Inset bottom: Robenie…

Tragic Incident: Teen Fatally Shot While Waiting for Mother at Work, Police Report

Inset, top to bottom: Andres Adan Chavez and Saith Mendez (LA County…