As of last week, lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had made three attempts to have the trial moved outside of Massachusetts, arguing that a large number of potential jurors were already convinced of Tsarnaev’s guilt. According to WSYX, 68 percent of the 1,373 prospective jurors who filled out questionnaires already believe Tsarnaev is guilty.
https://twitter.com/molmccann/status/558361451048730624
That argument didn’t fly, so today Tsarnaev’s legal team tried again, arguing that a photo that went viral of a bartender shoveling snow off of the Boston Marathon finish line was reason enough to move the trial.
#Tsarnaev attys cite coverage of marathon finish line shoveler in latest venue change request http://t.co/4GWkI4se82 pic.twitter.com/E78cVazJUM
— Katheleen Conti (@GlobeKConti) January 30, 2015
The coverage of the man who was inspired to clean off the finish line during this week’s blizzard “aptly symbolizes the unprecedented level of public feeling that still surrounds the Boston Marathon bombing, and that underlies the difficulties that have beset the jury selection process so far,” the attorneys said in a document filed Friday in US District Court in Boston.
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A photograph of a mystery man clearing the finish line during the blizzard went viral this week. It turned out to be bartender Christopher Laudani, 25. He said he wasn’t thinking of the terrorist attack, but of the Marathon, which he has run five times himself, including in 2013, when he was near mile 25 when the bombs went off.
“It’s more about the finish line itself, what it represents to me. The love of something that is way bigger than any of us,” he told the Globe.
Something tells us this is a long shot for the defense.
@BostonGlobe Deperate lawyering. SIck as the suspect.
— mike sisak (@lionswon) January 30, 2015
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@BostonGlobe oh GREAT
— S.I. Rosenbaum (@sirosenbaum) January 30, 2015
@sirosenbaum @BostonGlobe Next they'll cite the Boston Marathon being held in Boston this April as a reason to move the trial.
— Brian D'Amico (@brianjdamico) January 30, 2015
@BostonGlobe Oh please! How ridiculous. #GraspingAtStraws
— Susan Blanker (@SBlanker) January 31, 2015
@BostonGlobe Why? Is the Shoveler a Juror? The country knows what he did.Doesn't matter where it's tried.
— richard berrieault (@RBerrieault) January 31, 2015
https://twitter.com/SmallvilleHS/status/561282959047950336
https://twitter.com/Hedge76/status/561283170658963456
https://twitter.com/SmallvilleHS/status/561283749896544256
The trial was to begin Monday, January 26 but will have to be delayed as the search for an unbiased jury pool of 70 continues — slowly.
9 jurors questioned today in #Tsarnaev trial, total of 114 overall. Voir dire to resume Monday. Long road ahead to find 'qualified' jury
— andy thibault (@cooljustice) January 30, 2015
#Tsarnaev pool reports they are up to Juror 246 – the 109th to be interviewed. That means teams have gone into second panel from 1,373.
— Laurel J. Sweet (@Laurel_Sweet) January 30, 2015
Tsarnaev lawyer Miriam Conrad grilling juror 251 on social media posting about Muslims. Hands him a print out.
— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) January 30, 2015
in cartoon Calvin holds American flag and is urinating on something with Arabic writing. Juror used as his profile picture. #Tsarnaev
— J.M. Lawrence (@BostonJustice) January 30, 2015
MT @AnnoCNN Juror outed by #Tsarnaev atty re cartoon showing Calvin urinating on Muslim symbols-It was his FB profile pic.twitter.com/QhFL6k08kN
— andy thibault (@cooljustice) January 30, 2015
Conrad: Did you attempt to make a statement about Muslims? Juror 251: No, well, maybe I did #Tsarnaev
— Gail Waterhouse (@gailwaterhouse) January 30, 2015
Next …
Prospective juror in Boston Marathon bombing trial has sympathy for Tsarnaev, cites young age http://t.co/3Jpm0dl6g2 pic.twitter.com/uxJHBPq8en
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) January 31, 2015
https://twitter.com/AnnoCNN/status/561204439667990528
Next …
https://twitter.com/AnnoCNN/status/561197888932708352
https://twitter.com/AnnoCNN/status/561200674760048640
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