Tsarnaev Trial Pushed Back, Phillipos Trial to Come This Week
Credit: Craig Michaud
Credit: Craig Michaud
By Shaynah Ferreira 09-29-14
A judge has granted a two-month trial delay for Boston Bombing Suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; however, the defense motion to move the trial’s venue from Boston to Washington, D.C was denied.
Judge George O’ Toole on Wednesday ruled in favor of moving the trial date from Nov.3 to Jan.5. Two friends of the Boston Bombing suspect have already been convicted for impeding the federal investigation. A third friend will go on trial this week, for obstruction of justice, after allegedly lying to authorities during the investigation of the bombing.
Robel Phillipos was arrested and charged with making false statements while being questioned by authorities about his whereabouts on April 18th of last year, three days after the bombings – the same day authorities released photos of the brothers who allegedly placed two pressure cookers at the finish line. The explosions killed three people and injured more than 260.
Prosecutors suspect that Phillipos, who was 19 at the time of the attack, lied to police about being in Tsarnaev’s dorm room while the other two friends, Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev allegedly moved a laptop and emptied a backpack containing fireworks.
Phillipos was Tsarnaev’s classmate from high school and also attended the same college, UMass-Dartmouth, along with the two other friends.