Federal Appeals Court Denies Boston Marathon Bomber Judge Removal Bid

Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has lost his bid to remove U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole from overseeing the challenge to his death sentence. Tsarnaev’s lawyers argued that O’Toole was biased due to comments he made on podcasts and at public events about organizing complex jury trials and social media issues, but the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected this claim, stating the judge’s remarks did not warrant recusal. The court emphasized that O’Toole was directed to investigate claims of juror bias raised by Tsarnaev’s defense and that removing him would contradict the appellate court’s instructions. Tsarnaev continues to appeal his death sentence, alleging juror dishonesty during the original trial, where he was convicted of all charges related to the 2013 bombing that killed three people and injured hundreds. The ruling means O’Toole will remain on the case as Tsarnaev seeks to overturn his sentence, currently carried out at a Colorado supermax prison. This decision marks a significant setback for Tsarnaev’s ongoing legal efforts.