Judge Denies Last Ditch Effort to Delay Boston Bombing Trial: Reports

In a last ditch effort to move the trial, Tsarnaev's defense lawyer appealed again after the judge repeatedly denied request for a change of venue and delay of trial.

WASHINGTON, January 2 (Sputnik) — A federal appeals court declined Friday to move the venue of the trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, WCVB Channel 5 Boston reported.

According to Boston media, Judge George O'Toole Jr. said in his decision Friday that jury selection for the trial would begin as scheduled as it would be inconvenient to delay it.

Jury selection for the trial will begin on Monday. Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the 21-year-old Tsarnaev. In a last ditch effort to move the trial, Tsarnaev's defense lawyer appealed again after the judge repeatedly denied Tsarnaev's request for a change of venue and delay of trial.

The defense had argued Tsarnaev would not receive a fair trial if the jury was selected from people who had closely monitored the case for two years and had been impacted by the bombing.

The Boston Marathon bombings of April 15, 2013 have claimed lives of three people wounding over 260. Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, ethnic Chechens, were identified as suspects in the blasts. Tamerlan was killed during the shootout and Dzhokhar was arrested on April 19. Dzhokhar faces 30 charges, half of which are punishable by death.