Boston bombing suspect trial date set

BOSTON, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A federal judge has set the start date for the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man charged with carrying out the bombing of the Boston Marathon with his brother last April.

U.S. District Court Judge George A. O'Toole set the death penalty trial of Tsarnaev, 20, for November 3, assenting to the government's request to begin far sooner than the defense's request of September 2015.

Despite defense attorneys' complaint they have not had access to the evidence necessary to prepare their case, much of which is still being examined by the FBI at its Quantico, Va., headquarters, O'Toole said the earlier start date was more reasonable.

Tsarnaev will be brought up on numerous charges in the April 15, 2013, bombing that killed three people and injured more than 260 others, as well as the alleged murder of an MIT police officer several days later. His brother, Tamerlan, 26, died in attempting to flee from police.

The U.S. government said last month it would seek the death penalty.

The next hearing, in which the defense will discuss a potential change of venue, is set for June 18.

[Boston Globe]