Although he is already being charged in federal court, the Middlesex District Attorney’s office issued a warrant Monday for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on 15 charges for his alleged part in the aftermath of the explosions.
“We have asked the defendant to appear in court,” said Stephanie Chelf Guyotte, spokeswoman for the Middlesex District Attorney office. “He has a right to a fair and speedy trial and we asked that he appear for the arraignment.”
Although Tsarnaev and his attorney did not appear in court on Monday, Guyotte said they will continue to push the case forward.
“We asked the U.S. Marshal Service if he could appear in court, and they said they will not honor the request,” she said. “That keeps the case open and because he was not in court today. We cannot arraign him until a later time.”
Tsarnaev, 20, was indicted by the Middlesex grand jury on June 27, the same day that he was indicted for more than 30 federal charges, which included the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Department officer Sean Collier on April 18 and armed assault with the intent to murder for allegedly attacking law enforcement officers in Watertown during a shootout on April 19.
These charges are also filed in the Middlesex Superior Court because the alleged crimes took place in Middlesex County.
“The Commonwealth cannot proceed with the arraignment of the defendant until the defendant is physically present,” a Monday news advisory from the Middlesex District Attorney’s office stated. “It is the intention of the Middlesex District Attorney that the defendant stand trial for these charges in Middlesex County.”
Tsarnaev is also charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, four counts of armed assault with intent to murder, four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, armed robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a large capacity feeding device and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, according to the news advisory.
Prosecutor Adrienne Lynch asked Magistrate Judge Michael Sullivan for the warrant in Middlesex in Woburn on Monday and Guyotte said Tsarnaev could appear in the state court once his federal trial is over.
Tsarnaev, 20, is accused of causing two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 with his brother Tamerlan. The explosions, which were allegedly caused by homemade pressure cooker bombs packed with ball bearings and nails, killed three people and injured more than 260.
He is also charged in federal court with killing Collier when he and his brother tried to escape from law enforcement officials after the Federal Bureau of Investigation released their photos three days after the bombings.
Tamerlan was killed that night after a shootout with police when Dzhokhar allegedly ran him over while escaping in a stolen vehicle. Dzhokhar was captured the next day hiding in a boat in Watertown after a prolonged manhunt.
He was found with a note that accused the U.S. government of “killing our innocent civilians” and that stated “we Muslims are one body, you hurt one, you hurt us all,” as The Daily Free Press reported on June 28.
Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty to all charges against him during his arraignment in the U.S. District Court in South Boston on July 10. Prosecutors said if the case goes to trial, it could last three to four months and the defense could expect 85 to 100 witnesses.
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Hmmm an arraignment six months after the event while paying pious respects to the constitutional right to a speedy trial. Six months: enough time to tie up a few loose ends I suppose. Law enforcement never identified or found the armed man who held up the nearby Seven Eleven within minutes of when Officer Collier was brutally murdered. But this case rests on many a coincidence.
Speaking of the leisurely rhythm of the investigation into the bombing and its aftermath: the “scrawled” jihadist credo was not discovered in the boat until several days after the younger Tsarnaev was arrested in it. Oddly casual and careless forensics!
and already nobody cares