Judge Extends Deadline In Marathon Bombing Case
BOSTON (AP) — A judge has granted a request from lawyers for Boston Marathon suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for a later deadline for the defense to decide whether to ask to move the trial out of Boston.
Tsarnaev's lawyers had argued a Feb. 28 deadline was premature because U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder isn't expected to announce if prosecutors will seek the death penalty until late January. The lawyers also said the judge's rulings on other motions could affect whether they decide to seek a venue change.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge George O'Toole Jr. vacated the Feb. 28 deadline. He didn't immediately set a new deadline.
Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to a 30-count federal indictment, including a charge of using a weapon of mass destruction.
The April 15 bombing killed three people and wounded more than 260.
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