Twin Bomb Explosions Shatter Boston Marathon Finish Line

[Steely Dan]

For fans of irony I read in the attached article that according to Tamerlan Tsarnaev's former brother-in-law, he was angry that the world pictures Islam as a violent religion. The mother incidentally can't easily be dismissed as a one off, resulting in the radicalization of her sons. There was a proud Palestinian mother who rejoiced that her four sons died engaged in violent jihad and only regretted not having hundreds more to do likewise; she has the status of a saint in the Palestinian territories. I also read how our dear Tamerlan used to beat his girlfriend if she wore western clothes and apparently kept a constant watch on his sisters, no doubt with intent to murder them if family honor was at stake.

So what overrides one of the strongest instincts human beings have, to protect and nurture their young? Well the answer of course is ideology, which should be regarded as form of contagious group insanity and treated accordingly. There will be some who try and over complicate things by grasping at red herrings such as poverty, but a study in Pakistan found that those who were affluent and educated were far more likely to become jihaddists than the poor and uneducated. The foiled Canadian railway attack is yet another case in point, with one of the accused having a PHD.

But still the denial continues and sadly I see the prospect of yet more Bostons whilst we avert our eyes from the elephant in the room, which is radical Islamist ideology.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/left-running-in-circles-to-avoid-naming-elephant-in-the-room/story-e6frezz0-1226631134554

[Publicus]

OOPs. Scott deleted some posts.

I therefore edit;

Neither the President nor the Attorney General dispense justice. That is the role of the court system. The Boston case will be decided in the US Federal Court, by a qualified judge. There are multiple independent police and security agencies investigating the Boston incident. there is no conspiracy by the government.

I don't recall seeing the posts about conspiracies - they must be gone ... And U.S. Federal Criminal Courts can only try people who have been indicted by prosecutors and Federal Prosecutors report to holder ultimately ... So the Boston Bomber will in fact be under the jurisdiction of the Justice Department before arriving in Federal Court. So those that will be subject to having 'justice dispensed' are unfortunately processed through a highly charged political system - with precedent being set by the current Administration.

Plus the FBI and other Federal Agencies under the direct chain of command of the Justice Department and Home Land Security will be the lead investigation arms involved. These agencies will be responsible for bringing investigative data to the Justice Department to construct prosecution...

So to imply that holder, napolitano and obama will not have say or influence in the conduct of the investigation is naive at best.

Yes, Washington is a highly politicized place, as we saw in the strict party line vote to hold AG Holder in contempt of Congress, the first time a sitting AG had formally been held in contempt of Congress. But that was the strictly partisan vote of the House of Representatives, which is the most politicized place in Washington (Congress). The contempt vote didn't take hold with the people of the U.S. because 80% of the population, not only of registered voters, hold Congress in contempt of the country and of we the people.

Recall that during the Watergate investigations the FBI investigated the White House, the Attorney General himself, John Mitchell, who subsequently resigned, was prosecuted and imprisoned - all of which are the most unprecedented of events concerning the AG. The White House counsel, John Dean was investigated by the FBI, prosecuted, imprisoned. The president's chief domestic advisor John Erlichman was investigated by the FBI, tried, imprisoned, as was the president's special assistant John Haldeman. These are the principal characters among many at the White House who the FBI investigated and who were prosecuted and jailed.

In the Iran-Contra investigation from 1986 to 1994, fourteen Reagan Administration officials were charged with criminal acts, 11 of whom were convicted. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger evaded being tried and convicted by the Justice Department when he among others were issued pre-trial pardons by President George H. W. Bush during the lame duck period (hiatus) that followed Bush's defeat in 1992. Special Prosecutor Lawrence Walsh, using both his own investigative staff and the FBI, found that "the Iran operations were carried out with the knowledge of, among others, President Ronald Reagan, Vice President George H. W. Bush, Secretary of State George P. Schultz, Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberg, and Director of Central Intelligence William J. Casey."

Walsh began his prosecutions at the highest levels of government by filing charges against Weinberger. However, after Pres G..H.W. Bush pardoned Weinberger before his trail began, Walsh said the Congress' statute enabling him to investigate did not include authority to prosecute the president and vice president. The House of Reps chose not to impeach either or both (for obvious reasons).

Reagan's National Security Advisor Rear Admiral John Poindexter and his top assistant, Marine Colonel Oliver North were investigated by the FBI, tried by Walsh and convicted. However, the District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals overturned the convictions due to flaws in the 1970 witness immunity laws enacted by Congress. But both had been tried and convicted after criminal investigations by the office of Special Prosecutor Lawrence Walsh working with the FBI.

The FBI investigated the incidents involving President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Clinton's culpability was based however not on the alleged sexual act, but on the attempt by Clinton (and Lewinsky) to lie to the FBI in attempting to cover it up. Clinton was impeached by the Republican controlled House but, because the prosecution of Clinton by the Congress was seen by the public as political, Clinton was easily acquitted in his trial by the Senate. Clinton's lies to the FBI and his impeachment however cost Clinton his license to practice law.

While I worked on the professional staff of a committee of the U.S. House, I took it upon myself to call an assistant U.S. attorney who was prosecuting a case under laws that had originated in the particular committee, laws I knew well inside and out. I started out simply by asking the AUSA the status of the case. I never tried any such stunt again. The AUSA immediately adopted a strict attitude and tone of voice. He ever so firmly said he could prosecute me for interfering with the course of justice. This was "only" after I'd asked for a status report of the litigation. I never got anywhere near my real purpose of trying to influence the course of the case. Nothing happened against me after the rather unpleasant phone call with the AUSA. However, I learned in a somewhat hard way never to even speak to anyone at the Justice Department about a case or an investigation, not ever at all, period.

There's no question political decisions play a role at the highest levels of government in this kind of case, but only very early into the strictly legal decision making process. Deciding whether to seek capital punishment is both a political and a legal process, procedure, consideration.

However, any attempt to interfere with the FBI or any other U.S. Government agency investigating a case is a certain road to serious ramifications. Moreover, trying to politicize the Justice Department puts anyone who might attempt to do so in serious legal jeopardy. That includes the Attorney General and the President of the United States. I know Harvard lawyers who were unable to obtain positions in the Justice Department because their professional and personal records were only 99% perfect.

Read more: http://www.faqs.org/espionage/Int-Ke/Iran-Contra-Affair.html#ixzz2RwKPhriU

Read more: http://www.faqs.org/espionage/Int-Ke/Iran-Contra-Affair.html#ixzz2RwI00h8r

Edited April 30, 2013 by Publicus

[F430murci]

Sounds like the government making progress despite the nay sayers and mirandizing bomber boy.

"Law enforcement officials said they took a DNA sample Monday from Tamerlan's wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, to compare to female DNA found on a piece of pressure cooker used to make one of the bombs."

. . . and this, the Russian way of handling things. I bet mom and dad are steady in their cross hairs . . .

"The FBI is also looking into whether the older brother met with two men considered radical Muslims during a 2012 trip to the Russian republic of Dagestan. Both men — William Plotnikov and Makmud Nidal — were killed last year in Russian operations."

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/29/17974534-could-boston-bombing-suspect-avoid-death-penalty-talks-have-started?lite

Apparently, Judy Clarke, new attorney, is just anti death penalty, but one of her tactics is to persaude defendants to plead guilty to avoid death penalty. Candidly, as much as I hate for US to bear the expense of incarcerating him, this is fine by my and this young guy is in for an aweful, aweful experience for a very long time. Imagine no human contact, very small cell lit 24 hours a day, food and medicine comes through a think slot, solid steel door with no view of anything or knowledge whether it is day or night. Guilty plea also keep him out of trial and media circus which he may rather enjoy and saves many thousands in appeals of right regarding death sentences.

Edited April 30, 2013 by F430murci

[Scott]

Please stay on topic. Off-topic posts have been deleted.

The thread is about the Boston bombings.

[Publicus]

Apparently Tamerlan's wife wants his remains which have remained unclaimed, which is about time for someone's widow.

The FBI also wants to question her about Tamerlan. Some television commentator remarked that while even the mob usually spares the family, the FBI does not. And rightly so.

Edited due to technical problems.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Publicus

[Jingthing]

Strong majority of Americans support death penalty for Jahar. Yes, he is guilty. It's not a normal case. He's totally guilty. Personally, I think the death penalty and life in prison are similarly punitive so I don't care so much, BUT I wouldn't want him to avoid the death penalty just because he's a hottie.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/most-want-death-penalty-for-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-if-he-is-convicted-of-boston-bombing/2013/04/30/3f547f96-b1c5-11e2-baf7-5bc2a9dc6f44_story.html

Overall, 70 percent of those surveyed say they support the death penalty
for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. While most Democrats and Republicans
alike say they would support the death penalty for Tsarnaev, there are
deep racial divisions on the matter, reflecting a common gap in public
views of the death penalty itself.

[Ulysses G.]

You can be sure that will live many years of a torturous existence in a Super Max penitentiary whether he is executed, or not. He is going to pay for what he has done.

[uptheos]

You can be sure that will live many years of a torturous existence in a Super Max penitentiary whether he is executed, or not. He is going to pay for what he has done.

Giving him the death penalty will make him a super star among Islamic terrorists. I reckon he can spend the next 70 years or so in isolation, studying his precious ideology and reflecting on the great deed he has done. Within a few months he will be forgotten by his 'brothers and sisters' and will just be a nothing, a nobody......just rotting away slowly.....slowly.

[Publicus]

Strong majority of Americans support death penalty for Jahar. Yes, he is guilty. It's not a normal case. He's totally guilty. Personally, I think the death penalty and life in prison are similarly punitive so I don't care so much, BUT I wouldn't want him to avoid the death penalty just because he's a hottie.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/most-want-death-penalty-for-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-if-he-is-convicted-of-boston-bombing/2013/04/30/3f547f96-b1c5-11e2-baf7-5bc2a9dc6f44_story.html

Overall, 70 percent of those surveyed say they support the death penalty
for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. While most Democrats and Republicans
alike say they would support the death penalty for Tsarnaev, there are
deep racial divisions on the matter, reflecting a common gap in public
views of the death penalty itself.

I haven't heard the government specifically put the death penalty out on the table at this point. It's certainly been widely discussed publically and, I'm sure, inside the White House and the Justice Department, very likely with the Department of Homeland Security too. The feds do have the option in the United States Code [of laws].

I'm hearing from media, which is all I have at present, that the government wants the cold and brutal mass murderer Dzhokhar to talk more while it holds the sword of Damocles over his head, as it were. I should think Dzhokhar's lead lawyer, a death penalty Houdini, Judith Clarke, would welcome such a development both from the standpoint of her, er, profession, i.e., as a sworn member of the bar and as a patriot.

I still don't see the indifferent mass murderer Dzhokhar as suicidal or as having a martyr syndrome. A seemingly quiet unassuming guy, he was happy to yak continuously with investigators once he was able to do so in the hospital and until he got the reality check of being Mirandized. I'd bet he'd be happy as a pig in sh*t to resume his narrative in exchange for his life, miserable as it's going to be either way. Edited May 1, 2013 by Publicus

[Loptr]

Strong majority of Americans support death penalty for Jahar. Yes, he is guilty. It's not a normal case. He's totally guilty. Personally, I think the death penalty and life in prison are similarly punitive so I don't care so much, BUT I wouldn't want him to avoid the death penalty just because he's a hottie.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/most-want-death-penalty-for-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-if-he-is-convicted-of-boston-bombing/2013/04/30/3f547f96-b1c5-11e2-baf7-5bc2a9dc6f44_story.html

Overall, 70 percent of those surveyed say they support the death penalty

for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. While most Democrats and Republicans

alike say they would support the death penalty for Tsarnaev, there are

deep racial divisions on the matter, reflecting a common gap in public

views of the death penalty itself.

I prefer Uncle Ted's method for ridding the world of this vermin.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/ted-nugent-boston-bombing-suspect-public-hanging_n_3132341.html

I can't believe the HP actually publish Ted's views, considering their historic political affiliation.

[uptheos]

Strong majority of Americans support death penalty for Jahar. Yes, he is guilty. It's not a normal case. He's totally guilty. Personally, I think the death penalty and life in prison are similarly punitive so I don't care so much, BUT I wouldn't want him to avoid the death penalty just because he's a hottie.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/most-want-death-penalty-for-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-if-he-is-convicted-of-boston-bombing/2013/04/30/3f547f96-b1c5-11e2-baf7-5bc2a9dc6f44_story.html

Overall, 70 percent of those surveyed say they support the death penalty

for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. While most Democrats and Republicans

alike say they would support the death penalty for Tsarnaev, there are

deep racial divisions on the matter, reflecting a common gap in public

views of the death penalty itself.

I haven't heard the government specifically put the death penalty out on the table at this point. It's certainly been widely discussed publically and, I'm sure, inside the White House and the Justice Department, very likely with the Department of Homeland Security too. The feds do have the option in the United States Code [of laws].

I'm hearing from media, which is all I have at present, that the government wants the cold and brutal mass murderer Dzhokhar to talk more while it holds the sword of Damocles over his head, as it were. I should think Dzhokhar's lead lawyer, a death penalty Houdini, Judith Clarke, would welcome such a development both from the standpoint of her, er, profession, i.e., as a sworn member of the bar and as a patriot.

I still don't see the indifferent mass murderer Dzhokhar as suicidal or as having a martyr syndrome. A seemingly quite unassuming guy, he was happy to yak continuously with investigators once he was able to do so in the hospital, until he got the reality check of being Mirandized. I'd bet he'd be happy as a pig in sh*t to resume his narrative in exchange for his life, miserable as it's going to be either way.

Yep, 19 years old and the worlds his oyster......enjoy.

Edited May 1, 2013 by metisdead
30) Do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes, added emoticons, or altered wording.

[Publicus]

Strong majority of Americans support death penalty for Jahar. Yes, he is guilty. It's not a normal case. He's totally guilty. Personally, I think the death penalty and life in prison are similarly punitive so I don't care so much, BUT I wouldn't want him to avoid the death penalty just because he's a hottie.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/most-want-death-penalty-for-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-if-he-is-convicted-of-boston-bombing/2013/04/30/3f547f96-b1c5-11e2-baf7-5bc2a9dc6f44_story.html

Overall, 70 percent of those surveyed say they support the death penalty

for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. While most Democrats and Republicans

alike say they would support the death penalty for Tsarnaev, there are

deep racial divisions on the matter, reflecting a common gap in public

views of the death penalty itself.

I prefer Uncle Ted's method for ridding the world of this vermin.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/ted-nugent-boston-bombing-suspect-public-hanging_n_3132341.html

I can't believe the HP actually publish Ted's views, considering their historic political affiliation.

This is pretty much a matter of all Americans in it together.

[Jingthing]

My issue is a little more nuanced. In the USA, the death penalty is unjustly applied mostly to blacks and Latinos. I feel Jahar is seen by mainstream America as a WHITE boy. Not only a white boy but as a white boy they would like a lot if only he weren't a darned terrorist. If the USA is going to execute so many blacks and Latinos, surely this "white boy" deserves the same horror. I am generally against the death penalty except in heinous cases.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

He and his brother are Muslims that look like light skinned Arabs. I do not think most Americans think of them as white, but whatever their ethnic group. most Americans want them to pay for what they did.

[F430murci]

My issue is a little more nuanced. In the USA, the death penalty is unjustly applied mostly to blacks and Latinos. I feel Jamhar is seen by mainstream America as a WHITE boy. If the USA is going to execute so many blacks and Latinos, surely this "white boy" deserves the same horror. I am generally against the death penalty except in heinous cases.

I don't think is it racially disproportionate to % of criminal committing violent crimes. Hypothetically, if 90 percent of murder are committed by a certain race, then you would expect 90 % of the death penalities applicable to that race. From what I saw when working for Supreme Court back in mid 90s as we had mandatory review of all death penalties, there were a comparable number of or perhaps more white inmates on death row. There are certain types of crimes with certain aggravating cricumstances that are death elgible.

In the 1960 or before, a black man raping a white woman would typically get the death penalty in the Southern United States where a white man would not. This is no longer the case.

Death penalty cases are extremely convoluted. They are difficult to prosecute and have many guidelines. They receive heightened scrutiny and usually involve cases in the public eye or in a local media frenzy because they are not garden variety murder cases.

Shoot a cop, judge or a DA, does not matter what color you are. They will likely seeek death penalty.

Kill someone while escaping from prison, you will likely be death eligible regardless of color. I worked on a case where two inmates escpaed to a wooded region around a lake. They stole a high powered rifle from a vacated summer cabin. They ambused an elderly couple by shooting them with the high powered rifle through the windows of the elderly couple's cabin. One of victims had their arm severed and sustained many horrific wounds, but died a slow painful death. White individuals committed these crimes.

Rape, torture followed by murder may make you death elgible depending on the circumstances. One case I recall is women kidnapped from a park, raped, beat, placed in a trunk during the middle of summer, and she died from dehydration and heat stroke after being in the trunk for several days. White guy sentenced to death.

Another case I recall is a guy poured gasoline on his wife or girlfriend while she was in a car during a domestic dispute. She was in driver seat with windown open, he poured gas on her and set her on fire. She survived for a while, but was horrifically burned. I saw pictures of her completely burned with large surgicial gashes all over her body to relieve pressure. She expired after much suffering. White guy sentenced to death.

A couple of meth dealing white motorcyle gang members that killed people slowly, burned them in 55 gallon drums with rubber mats for days and then would crush up the bones, mix with lime and put remians in the river. They used to brag about making poeple disappear. One of their wifes got pissed or scared and turned states evidence. They found part of a vicitm's shoe burried in a trash pit for the necessary corroboration. This case gave me nightmares as the descriptions of the murders and destruciton of the bodies was so disturbing. White guys on death row.

To be perfectly candid, these are the only cases I remember reviewing and they all inoved crazy white guys.

Anyway, here is an article about the bomber boy's new death penalty expert lawyer.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/30/17986289-tsarnaevs-best-defense-judy-clarke-who-keeps-clients-off-death-row?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1

Edited May 1, 2013 by F430murci

[SteeleJoe]

My issue is a little more nuanced. In the USA, the death penalty is unjustly applied mostly to blacks and Latinos. I feel Jahar is seen by mainstream America as a WHITE boy. Not only a white boy but as a white boy they would like a lot if only he weren't a darned terrorist. If the USA is going to execute so many blacks and Latinos, surely this "white boy" deserves the same horror. I am generally against the death penalty except in heinous cases.

I suspect this will appear as a semantic nitpick but I believe it is in fact an important distinction: "the USA" isn't executing those blacks and Latinos, state governments are...though the last two the Feds executed were a Latino and a black man, the one before was Timothy McVeigh - notorious white boy.

As for whether they are executed unjustly or not, that is open to debate but has to be looked at case by case. It is notnunjust just because they are minorities but it obviously is unjust if that's why they were executed.

Odds are that some executions are unjust (as will be true of white convicts as well) - which is the primary reason I object to the death penalty.

[keemapoot]

He and his brother are Muslims that look like light skinned Arabs. I do not think most Americans think of them as white, but whatever their ethnic group. most Americans want them to pay for what they did.

I agree, I don't think they're viewed as white, but not quite "Arab" either in that US-Centric broad paintbrush of generalizations. You are right though, that being viewed as "Muslim," whatever that means, usually entails some degree of ethnicity that is not in common with whites per se. In the end, I don't think the ethnicity of him will be much of a factor. Further confusing is that Russian thing, which on its face, conjures up more stereotypes that don't fit him either. I doubt many Americans will take the time to try to understand what a Chechen is.

It will be interesting to see how racial and religious stereotypes will impact the public's reaction to the trial, and whether either prosecution or defense does play any kind of ever so subtle race card in the proceedings.

[F430murci]

Car jack victims speaks out. So much for tin foil hat brigade's he didn't exist implications . . .

http://www.today.com/news/boston-carjack-victim-narrow-escape-god-was-me-6C9690345

[Publicus]

My issue is a little more nuanced. In the USA, the death penalty is unjustly applied mostly to blacks and Latinos. I feel Jahar is seen by mainstream America as a WHITE boy. Not only a white boy but as a white boy they would like a lot if only he weren't a darned terrorist. If the USA is going to execute so many blacks and Latinos, surely this "white boy" deserves the same horror. I am generally against the death penalty except in heinous cases.

The older brother does come across as the heavy in this. His mother appears to be a jihadist type too and the father is a miserable grump, period. I seem to remember way back when - and correct me if I'm wrong - there are two sisters in the mix who, if so, fortunately for them have been out of media focus. Maybe they're back in Chechnya, I dunno.

So in contrast to the sinister views, attitudes, behaviors of the known family, the fact everyone who knows Dzhokhar says he was such a sweet guy and that Dzhokhar can appear to be white does seem to take some of the sting away from his awful crimes (alleged). (We haven't seen Dzhokhar in person so we don't really know how white he may appear to be.)

So beyond the family situation he was born into, or because of it, the other major factors in his life seem to be that he's indifferent and is in desperate need of a brain, not to mention a personality of his own.

[SteeleJoe]

I don't agree that this guy will typically be viewed as a "white boy" as much as he will be as an outsider/foreigner. I also don't assume as some of you do, that it will matter so much if he is.

Not a whole lot of sympathy for either of these guys (yes, I know only one was executed but that's not my point):

Sorry if this post turns out weird. App is giving me problems.

Edited May 1, 2013 by SteeleJoe

[F430murci]

Evidence relating to MIT police shooting.

http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/01/17991679-green-honda-could-prove-crucial-if-tsarnaev-charged-in-mit-officers-killing?lite

[keemapoot]

I don't agree that this guy will typically be viewed as a "white boy" as much as he will be as an outsider/foreigner. I also don't assume as some of you do, that it will matter so much if he is. Not a whole lot of sympathy for either of these guys (yes, I know only one was executed but that's not my point): ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1367417594.809357.jpg ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1367417602.609897.jpg

It could be critically important during the voir dire (jury selection) process to discover any apparent or latent racial, nationality or religious biases. These things can impact verdicts as I'm sure you know.

[F430murci]

I don't agree that this guy will typically be viewed as a "white boy" as much as he will be as an outsider/foreigner. I also don't assume as some of you do, that it will matter so much if he is. Not a whole lot of sympathy for either of these guys (yes, I know only one was executed but that's not my point): ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1367417594.809357.jpg ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1367417602.609897.jpg

It could be critically important during the voir dire (jury selection) process to discover any apparent or latent racial, nationality or religious biases. These things can impact verdicts as I'm sure you know.

Could this give rise to a Batson issue? Edited May 1, 2013 by F430murci

[SteeleJoe]

It could be critically important during the voir dire (jury selection) process to discover any apparent or latent racial, nationality or religious biases. These things can impact verdicts as I'm sure you know.

Absolutely.

But it wasn't my impression - which may be mistaken - that that was the sort of thing that previous posters had in mind when they spoke of how he is perceived by the general public.

[keemapoot]

I don't agree that this guy will typically be viewed as a "white boy" as much as he will be as an outsider/foreigner. I also don't assume as some of you do, that it will matter so much if he is. Not a whole lot of sympathy for either of these guys (yes, I know only one was executed but that's not my point): ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1367417594.809357.jpg ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1367417602.609897.jpg

It could be critically important during the voir dire (jury selection) process to discover any apparent or latent racial, nationality or religious biases. These things can impact verdicts as I'm sure you know.

Could this give rise to a Batson issue?

Interesting, but the challenging party must make a prima facie showing. We may be in for lots of legal gymnastics just in Voir Dire.

[keemapoot]

It could be critically important during the voir dire (jury selection) process to discover any apparent or latent racial, nationality or religious biases. These things can impact verdicts as I'm sure you know.

Absolutely.

But it wasn't my impression - which may be mistaken - that that was the sort of thing that previous posters had in mind when they spoke of how he is perceived by the general public.

You're right, I think we're all just bandying about all the angles. The Public perception angle, the legal challenge issues of selecting impartial jurors, and then the whole media circus to come. Could be interesting.

[F430murci]

I don't agree that this guy will typically be viewed as a "white boy" as much as he will be as an outsider/foreigner. I also don't assume as some of you do, that it will matter so much if he is. Not a whole lot of sympathy for either of these guys (yes, I know only one was executed but that's not my point): ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1367417594.809357.jpg ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1367417602.609897.jpg

It could be critically important during the voir dire (jury selection) process to discover any apparent or latent racial, nationality or religious biases. These things can impact verdicts as I'm sure you know.

Could this give rise to a Batson issue?

Interesting, but the challenging party must make a prima facie showing. We may be in for lots of legal gymnastics just in Voir Dire.

I use a Phd/JD jury science expert out of New York that provides a psychological profile that determines religious, political and etc. through innocuous questions such as types of magizines, shows they watch, personal habbits and etc. The problem, however, arises when all Muslims or Islamics are excluded even if all other indications are they can be fair and impartial. Getting a venue and then finding people not impacted by the media and etc. will be extremely difficult for a death-qualified jury.

[Ulysses G.]

Three more suspects have been arrested in the Boston Marothon bombings. It is looking like perhaps they were not lone wolves after all.

[NeverSure]

Three more suspects have been arrested in the Boston Marothon bombings. It is looking like perhaps they were not lone wolves after all.

I don't want to go back and find my early post where I said I didn't think they acted alone, that the US would hunt down anyone else involved anywhere in the world, and deal with them like they did Bin Laden.

There's no way these two acted alone. It doesn't work that way.

[sbk]

from my understanding of the reports is the three are being held on suspicion of aiding after the fact. Not before.