Introduction
The U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev case is widely known since the explosions of the homemade bombs planted by Dzhokhar and Tamerlane Tsarnaev at the Boston Marathon killed and injured many people. Advocates of Dzhokhar, who was sentenced to death, subsequently filed an appeal upheld on July 31, 2020 (Givas, 2020). The charges against Tsarnaev were dropped on three counts, but the remaining accusations are enough for the life sentence to remain in force. This paper aims to write up the U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev case, including investigation, arrest, evidence, court proceedings, and sentencing.
Court hearings in the U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev case show how the U.S. justice system works. Hearings lasted from March 4 to April 23, 2015, and were held in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 2015). Judy Clark represented the defendant; since the defendant’s actions were not in doubt, the defense did not dispute or justify these actions. The main accusation was that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, together with his older brother Tamerlane, planted two bombs. The explosions injured 260 people and killed four people; a policeman was shot during the chase (Andersen, 2020).
Before he was arrested, Dzhokhar was found hiding in a boat, lying in a fetal position. There, he wrote a message that reflected his thoughts about what had happened. Tsarnaev was found guilty on all 30 counts of charges and sentenced to death (U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 2015). The main accusations were using a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property, resulting in death. The pre-trial hearings began with the indictment before Justice of the Peace Marianne Bowler. The first public appearance took place on July 10, 2013, at the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston (U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 2015). Initially, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all counts, including conspiracy to use the weapon of mass destruction, resulting in death. On January 30, 2014, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the federal government intends to pass a death sentence for Tsarnaev.
Introductory Statements
Opening statements began with a speech by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Weinreb on March 4, 2015. Weinreb began by openly accusing Tsarnaev, and then described the scene of the explosions; many family members of the victims were in the courtroom. The prosecutor also announced the injuries of the victims Liu Lingzi and Crystal Campbell and the death of eight-year-old Martin Richard. New details were revealed about how Tsarnaev received a gun, from which police officer Sean Collier was shot during the chase. Collier was shot two times in the head and three times in his right arm. This information became known according to witnesses’ statements, while surveillance cameras tracked the movements of the Tsarnaevs. According to the prosecutor, the Tsarnaevs obtained information about the bombs’ construction from an online magazine sponsored by al-Qaeda. At this stage, attorney Judy Clark tried to appeal to the fact that Dzhokhar acted under Tamerlane’s influence. The defender also said that the circumstances of the explosions are incomprehensible and unforgivable.
Witness Testimonies
The next day, the court listened to the testimony of witnesses about the consequences of the explosions. In particular, the testimony of the father of eight-year-old Martin Richard, who died due to the explosions, was heard. There was also a veteran of the war in Iraq, Boston police officer Frank Chiola, who spoke about the injuries and death of Krystle Campbell. Police officer Lauren Woods described the death of Liu Lingzi. Jeff Bauman also appeared before the court, having lost both legs, he was wearing shorts. Bauman testified that he saw Tamerlane leave the backpack on the ground, and a few minutes later, there was an explosion.
Over the next few days, testimony was given by marathon participants and eyewitnesses. Many of them were injured; the rest were helping the wounded. Cameras captured how the Tsarnaev brothers laid the bombs near the finish line, and the video was shown to the jury. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev did not go on the run right away – later that day he visited a grocery store and a gym. On one of the hearing days, the court was presented with an inscription scrawled on the boat’s sides, where Dzhokhar was found. At that moment, Dzhokhar said that he was jealous of his brother since he had already got to the highest heaven.
During the chase, police officer Sean Collier was shot dead by the Tsarnaev brothers in his car, and the Tsarnaevs took the officer’s gun. The next day, the court discussed Tamerlane’s death, whom Dzhokhar hit by a car during a fight between Tamerlane and Watertown police sergeant Geoffrey Puglia. The shootout between the Tsarnaevs and MBTA officer Richard Donoghue, who survived, was presented as well. Steven Silva acted as a witness, who gave Tsarnaev a gun; he was charged with drug abuse and illegal weapons use.
Sentence
According to the jury’s decision, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found guilty. Dzhokhar was found guilty on 30 counts on April 8, 2015 (U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 2015). It is noteworthy that the parents of Martin Richard, who died in the bombings, urged the jury not to pass the death sentence. Dzhokhar’s relatives testified at the sentencing stage on May 4, 2015, which caused Dzhokhar to cry. On May 15, 2015, the jury recommended that Tsarnaev be sentenced to death in connection with installing a second bomb (U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 2015). Judge O’Toole officially handed down the death sentence on June 24, 2015. Responsibility for planting the first bomb and the consequences of the first explosion were assigned to Tamerlane. After the verdict was pronounced, Tsarnaev apologized to the victims. He said that he prayed to Allah for mercy for the victims and their families and mercy for him, his brother, and his family.
Appeals
The first appeal was filed by Tsarnaev on August 17, 2016, shortly before the deadline. Judge O’Toole dismissed the appeal and ordered Tsarnaev to pay more than $ 100 million to the victims of the bombings and their families. In December 2018, attorneys filed another appeal, which was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on July 31, 2020 (Givas, 2020). Therefore, three convictions and one death sentence were overturned, and a new trial was ordered. As a result, because of the remaining convictions, which imply life imprisonment, Tsarnaev is likely to sit in prison regardless of the new trial’s details.
Conclusion
Thus, the case of U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev was presented, including investigation, arrest, evidence, court proceedings, and sentencing. The investigation and the adjudication took more than two years and are still in process. The assessment of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s actions was considered from various points of view, including his brother’s influence. The ethical aspects of the crime have been widely discussed in society; millions of people follow the course of the case. The death penalty’s cancellation was a landmark decision for the U.S. judicial system, which is moving towards a ban on the death penalty in an increasing number of states.
References
Andersen, T. (2020). What’s next in the Tsarnaev case? The Boston Globe. Web.
Givas, N. (2020). Federal appeals court vacates Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence. Fox News. Web.
U.S. v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev (2015).