Boston Marathon Bomber’s Lawyer Urges Jury to Spare his Life
BOSTON – April 27, 2015 (UPI) — Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s lawyers urged a jury Monday to spare his life, portraying him as “a good kid” who was led down the path to terrorism by his fanatical older brother.
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David Bruck delivered the defense’s opening statement in the penalty phase of Tsarnaev’s trial, saying there is no punishment Tsarnaev can get that would be equal to the suffering of the victims.
“There is no evening the scales,” Bruck said. “There is no point in trying to hurt him as he hurt because it can’t be done.”
Tsarnaev, 21, was convicted of 30 federal charges in the twin bombings that killed three spectators and wounded more than 260 other people near the marathon’s finish line on April 15, 2013. He was also convicted of killing an MIT police officer during the Tsarnaev brothers’ getaway attempt.
This stage of the trial will determine whether he is executed or spends the rest of his life behind bars.
Bruck urged the jury to sentence the defendant to life in prison without the possibility of ever being released.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed by police on April 18, 2013 and Dzhokhar was captured later after a standoff in which he was seriously injured.
