Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect's Lawyers Ask for Dismissal

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's lawyers are asking a judge to dismiss indictments and put proceedings in the case on hold

Lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are asking a judge to dismiss indictments and put proceedings in the case on hold over concerns about the jury selection process in federal court.

In a 15-page motion filed late Friday, Tsarnaev's attorneys said their three-year review of procedures used to select both grand juries and trial juries in the District of Massachusetts turned up "substantial violations" of both the jury selection law and a constitutional requirement that juries represent a fair cross-section of the population.

Specifically, the lawyers cited an under-representation of African-Americans and people over 70 on juries.

Authorities say Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, set off the two bombs at the Boston Marathon's finish line last year, killing three people and injuring more than 260.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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