<p>To me it is going to be interesting to see the difference between this federal criminal trial coverage and discussion and the media circuses in recent State court cases.</p>
<p>Tsarnaev pled not guilty. There were Jahar supporters at the court house. Oh, in the military trial in Waco Texas, Hasan informed the jurors today that he supports the Taliban.</p>
<p>GZ rested without testifying.</p>
<p>People at the Whitey Bulger trial say it’s great theater that few are getting to see.</p>
<p>So I heard. Cussing and marshals having to get between folks.</p>
<p>There was enough media circus surrounding the arraignment yesterday. Every local channel in Boston “covered” it non-stop (except of course for commercials) for five hours, asking people inside the courtroom to describe everything. The arraignment took 10 minutes.</p>
<p>Five hours of absolutely nothing.</p>
<p>So he pleads “not guilty.” I wonder what his defense will be. “Innocent until proven guilty” stretched to the limit. I guess he could blame his brother, claim he forced him to do everything against his will.</p>
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He really doesn’t have a lot of options. If he pleads guilty, the absolute best case scenario is life in prison without parole at SuperMax. I think you’re right that he’ll probably argue that his will was overborne. I don’t see any possibility of arguing that he didn’t do it.</p>
<p>Anything less than the death penalty is a failure for the prosecution.</p>
<p>The defense team may feel that he has a greater chance of avoiding the death penalty before a jury than if he pleads guilty. I presume that the case will be tried somewhere in Massachusetts, where the death penalty is less popular.</p>
<p>I live in Texas and have nothing against the death penalty especially when it is truly an open and shut case like this one.</p>
<p>That said, I think that a life sentence without chance of parole to Supermax for a 19 year old male is a greater punishment than the release of death.</p>
<p>Think about that life. 23 hours of every day alone. Forever. I think I have read that the guards and those who bring the food do not speak to the prisoner. I also understand (I maybe wrong) that there is very little if any stimulus allowed the prisoner.</p>
<p>I think they can read, and watch educational TV. It’s really grim.</p>
<p>This is a detailed description of “life” at a Supermax. Does anyone know if the lawsuit has proceeded?</p>
<p>[The</a> Grim Realities Of Life In Supermax Prisons : NPR](<a href=“The Grim Realities Of Life In Supermax Prisons : NPR”>The Grim Realities Of Life In Supermax Prisons : NPR)</p>
<p>I also thought that it was pointless for reporters to ask members of the courtroom crowd “Did Tsarnaev show any emotion or remorse?” Huh? Were talking about a guy accused of intentionally killing innocent people at random.</p>
<p>Sadly, most of the responses I saw were equally pointless. I am sure that Tsarnaev and his ideological kinsmen and kinswomen really do not care that someone in the crowd at the courthouse thinks “he’s a punk.” I am no safer today than yesterday from the next political lunatic like Tsarnaev.</p>
<p>I like the sketch artist work in federal trials that generate enough interest. Some seem better than others.</p>
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<p>That may not be the case. Even in supermax prisoners are not in segregation 23 hrs per day. He will get to practice his religion of hate and have visitors. The taxpayers should not have to pay for his worthless existence for the rest of his life. </p>
<p>If potential jurors are wimpy about the death penalty, the prosecutor could exclude them from the jury.</p>
<p>And what is with this Russian accent he showed in court the other day? His friends said he never had such an accent.</p>
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Massachusetts doesn’t have the death penalty. But the feds do, and he’s being tried under the federal statute. Given the immediacy of the crime to the MA area (even those removed from Boston - MA isn’t that big), I don’t think that there will be too much difficulty empaneling a jury that doesn’t have a problem with the death penalty. Opinions about the penalty run the full gamut even here. And challenging jurors who would have difficulty applying the death penalty is considered excusing them for cause. There are unlimited challenges for cause.</p>
<p>According to the news reports, however, the prosecutors have not yet decided if they will seek the death penalty.</p>
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<p>Maybe its time to hire some better prosecutors. If they can’t figure out a no-brainer like the death penalty for a guy who blows up children and removes people’s legs, they are incompetent.</p>
<p>I oppose the death penalty, even in his case. I would oppose it even in the case of his brother, who appeared to be more guilty, if such a thing is possible. It is not a question of what HE “deserves,” it is a question of what WE deserve. </p>
<p>The death penalty is not a no-brainer.</p>
<p>I’m a lot more concerned about the tens of thousands of people serving long sentences for non-violent drug “crimes” and the cost of THAT to our society than the cost of maintaining someone like him for “life.”</p>
<p>I’m not a big lover of the death penalty in this case, either. I always wonder with regard to McVeigh if there is still stuff that we don’t know and will now never know. Same here. Although I don’t want to pay to food, house and care for this disgusting little twit, the finality of the death penalty bothers me.</p>
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<p>Federal law says it is an appropriate punishment. That ends the discussion. The prosecutors don’t get to poll the locals regarding if they agree with the federal law. Prosecutors are sworn to uphold the law. If state law says no death penalty, then when he is prosecuted in state court he won’t a state death penalty.</p>