Defense Lawyers Want Judge Removed in Boston Bomber Case

In a recent federal court hearing in Boston, lawyers for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev requested that U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole recuse himself from the case. They cited comments made by O’Toole on podcasts and at public events during the appeals process as grounds for their request. Tsarnaev was not present in court, where O’Toole emphasized the importance of protecting the privacy of two jurors while investigating potential bias from the 2015 trial. O’Toole expressed his commitment to respecting the jurors, stating, “They are citizens, and they deserve to be respected.” One juror, Borgard, shared his personal experience of being near the marathon bombing site, expressing a desire for the lengthy legal process to conclude. He also voiced his strong opposition to the death penalty, describing it as an outdated perspective. The hearing follows a federal appeals court order for O’Toole to examine claims of juror bias and assess whether Tsarnaev’s death sentence should be upheld. This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated Tsarnaev’s death sentence in 2022, overturning a previous decision by the 1st Circuit Court that had nullified the sentence in 2020. The Supreme Court's ruling, which passed with a 6-3 vote, addressed concerns regarding the trial's location and the seating of jurors who allegedly misled during questioning. Tsarnaev was convicted on all 30 charges related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which resulted in three fatalities and numerous injuries.