BOSTON (AP) – Now that the prosecution and defense have rested in the first phase of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s trial, there are a few steps left before jurors begin deliberating. After the jury reaches a verdict, the same jury will hear evidence in a second phase of the trial to determine whether Tsarnaev, 21, should be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison.
Here’s a look at what’s next:
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CLOSING ARGUMENTS
Federal prosecutors and Tsarnaev’s lawyers will give their closing arguments Monday. These arguments are the lawyers’ chance to leave a final impression on jurors before they begin deliberating. Both sides use closing arguments to summarize evidence they’ve presented during the trial and to try to convince the jury of guilt or innocence. In this case, Tsarnaev’s lawyers are expected to use closing arguments to expand on a narrative the defense began during opening statements: He participated in the bombings but only after he fell under the influence of his radicalized older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died following a shootout with police days after the bombings. Prosecutors are likely to focus on their contention that the brothers were partners in the plan to bomb innocent people to get back at the U.S. for wars in Muslim countries.