A federal judge has scheduled the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 20-year-old suspected of planting the bombs that exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line in April, for November.
US District Court Judge George A. O’Toole said that the trial will start on Nov. 3 during a hearing in Boston on Wednesday, reports The Boston Globe.
Just days ago, prosecutors and the defense had filed their status reports, which showed that both sides had different timelines in mind. Prosecutors had also suggested starting as early as this fall, notes the Globe. However, Tsarnaev’s defense attorneys had suggested a much later start date in September 2015 in order to be prepared for what could be a highly publicized trial.
Late last month, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty. Some victims of the bombing supported the decision, while Tsarnaev’s uncle insisted that he is innocent.
Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, are suspected of planting the bombs that exploded in April, killing three and leaving over 260 others injured. They also allegedly killed an MIT officer days later when they tried to flee Boston. Tamerlan was killed in a shootout with police and Tsarnaev was arrested later that same day, found hiding in a boat.
image courtesy of FBI.gov