United States v. Tsarnaev
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in United States v. Tsarnaev and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of United States v. Tsarnaev.
The Supreme Court reviewed the decision of the Court of Appeals, which had vacated Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's capital sentences. The Court found that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in jury selection or in excluding evidence related to the Waltham murders. The Court of Appeals' decision was reversed, reinstating the original capital sentences.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in United States v. Tsarnaev.
The Court held that the Court of Appeals improperly vacated Dzhokhar's capital sentences.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in United States v. Tsarnaev. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
-
Why Right to Jury Trial is relevant to United States v. Tsarnaev
The case involves the discretion of the trial judge in jury selection and the questions posed to prospective jurors.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Jury selection falls 'particularly within the province of the trial judge,' Skilling v. United States, 561 U. S. 358, 386, whose broad discretion in this area includes deciding what questions to ask prospective jurors.
-
Why Cruel and Unusual Punishment is relevant to United States v. Tsarnaev
The case discusses the application of the Federal Death Penalty Act and the exclusion of certain evidence in the sentencing phase.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Section 3593(c) does not violate the Eighth Amendment. That provision falls well within the Federal Government's 'traditional authority' to decide that certain types of evidence may have insufficient probative value to justify their admission.
-
Why Procedural Due Process is relevant to United States v. Tsarnaev
The case involves the procedural fairness of the trial, specifically the jury selection process and the exclusion of evidence.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The District Court used the 100-question juror form—which asked prospective jurors what media sources they followed and whether any of that information had caused them to form an opinion about Dzhokhar's guilt or punishment—to cull down the number of prospective jurors.
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in United States v. Tsarnaev that support the summary and concepts above.
The District Court did not abuse its discretion by declining to ask about the content and extent of each juror's media consumption.
The supervisory power of federal courts does not extend to the creation of prophylactic supervisory rules.
The District Court reasonably decided to exclude the evidence under § 3593(c)'s balancing test.