WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will consider reinstating the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, presenting President Joe Biden with an early test of his opposition to capital punishment.
The justices agreed Monday to hear an appeal filed by the Trump administration, which carried out executions of 13 federal inmates in its final six months in office.
The case won’t be heard until the fall, and it’s unclear how the new administration will approach Tsarnaev’s case.
Tsarnaev was convicted for carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing attack that killed three people and injured more than 260 on April 15, 2013.
The initial prosecution and decision to seek a death sentence was made by the Obama administration, in which Biden served as vice president.
However, Biden has pledged to seek an end to the federal death penalty.