Crime & Safety
Wounded MBTA Officer Declines Attending Marathon Bombing Suspect's Arraignment
Woburn resident and injured MBTA Transit Police Officer Richard "Dic" Donohue Jr. was not among the victims in attendance for the Boston Marathon bombing suspect's arraignment Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Boston.
Injured MBTA Transit Police Officer Richard "Dic" Donohue Jr. was not among the victims in attendance for the Boston Marathon bombing suspect's arraignment Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Boston.
Donohue, 33, of Woburn, and his wife Kim were not present to witness Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's arraignment before Judge Marianne Bowler at the Moakley Federal Courthouse. Donohue was shot in the leg during a shoot-out in Watertown with the marathon bombing suspects in April.
MBTA Officer May Skip Trial
The Donohues may not attend the potentially lengthy trial, according to the officer's Facebook page.
"Dic and I will not be at the arraignment (Wednesday), as we both have other items to attend," said Kim Donohue, an Exeter native. "And I am unsure if we will be attending any of the trial, although I know we have been invited to go.
"This is a long and difficult process and this trial is going to be a very long journey. No matter what the outcome, I know we are not alone in this...I agree with Dic when he reported that he hopes this trial will provide some sort of healing/hope/closure for those injured and for the community."
Tsarnaev, 19, is accused of bombing the Boston Marathon on April 15 and he was arraigned on 30 charges including including charges of using weapons of mass destruction and murder. Seventeen of the charges carry a potential death penalty sentence.
Tsarnaev appeared in court wearing an orange jumpsuit that was unbuttoned, and a cast on his left arm.
As the 30 charges against him were read, Tsarnaev's defense attorneys, Miriam Conrad and Judy Clarke, noted he would be pleading "Not Guilty" on all charges.
Judge Bowler asked Tsarnaev to stand and enter his plea himself.
Standing at the microphone, in a slight accent, Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty seven times to all 30 charges as they were read in several groups.
Tsarnaev appeared to fidget throughout the appearance, touching the left side of his chin, which appeared to be disfigured.
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Thirty victims or family members of victims were present in the courtroom, as well as some of Tsarnaev's family members, including his sisters.
The prosecution said they would call to the stand as many as 80-100 witnesses, and the trial could take up to four months.
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Judge Bowler continued the hearing to Sept. 23 at 10 a.m.
Wednesday's arraignment was Tsarnaev's first court appearance since his arrest on April 19, after a 24-hour-long standoff with police. After his arrest, he was held in a hospital to recuperate from wounds sustained during his capture and was later transported to a military prison in Fort Devens.
Dzhokhar and his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed during a confrontation with police in Watertown on April 19, are alleged to have created a pair of bombs that exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line April 15 killing three and wounding hundreds. Dzhokhar has also been charged in the death of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier.
Mother of Wounded Stoneham Brothers to Attend Trial
“I’m angry now,” Norden told the newspaper. “It’s been a nightmare. We’re living it. I’m trying to make sense of this and I will be there every step of the way.”
Liz's sons, J.P. Norden, 33, and Paul Norden, 32, each lost their right legs in the explosions on Boylston Street. J.P. also had his car keys burned into his left leg, his mother added, further complicating his painful recovery, reads the Globe report.
“I woke up that day with a normal family,” Norden told the Globe. “Now it feels as if my heart has been broken in a million ways.”
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