On Thursday, The United States Justice Department announced that they will seek the death penalty against Boston Marathon bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. When the case against Tsarnaev goes to trial, the jury will not only have to decide whether or not he is guilty of the charges, but also if he deserves to die for the charges.
According the CNN.com, Tsarnaev is charged with 30 federal counts from the April 15 attack, when two bombs went off near the finish line of the marathon. Three people died in the explosion, including an 8-year-old boy, and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer was killed three days later during the chase that led to Tsarnaev’s capture.
Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement: “After consideration of the relevant facts, the applicable regulations and the submissions made by the defendant’s counsel, I have determined that the United States will seek the death penalty in this matter. The nature of the conduct at issue and the resultant harm compel this decision.”
Death sentences in the federal system are uncommon. Since the 1970s, the US has carried out only three executions. Legal experts believe that the Justice Department seeking the death penalty may cause Tsarnaev to reconsider his plea and plead guilty to avoid being sentenced to death.
A trial date has not been set for Tsarnaev.
Sources:
CNN.com
NBCNews.com