Death-penalty opponents excluded from jury in 'Marathon bombing' trial

January 26, 2015

Jury selection for the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the suspect in the “Marathon Bombings” that shook Boston in 2013, has prompted a controversy over the exclusion of those who object to the death penalty.

Potential jurors who state that they have moral objections to the use of the death penalty are being excused from the trial. Since the Catechism says that circumstances justifying capital punishment are “very rare, if not practically non-existent,” the court’s policy in this case would seem to exclude Catholics. However, polls show that a substantial majority of Catholics favor the death penalty at least in some circumstances.

Nearly half (46%) of the residents of the Boston area identify themselves as Catholics.

 

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Further information:

• Boston bombing jury excludes some Catholics (USA Today)