Skip to main content

Man wants marathon bombing suspect to face victims

By WTOP Staff

DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hasn’t appeared in court for more than a year. But prosecutors and a man who was severely injured in the bombings say they want to see him in a courtroom soon.

“I’d like to see him have to face us and see what he did to us,” Marc Fucarile, who lost his right leg and received other serious injuries, said Thursday after a status conference in the case.

Tsarnaev is legally allowed to skip pre-trial hearings. He has done that for every hearing since his arraignment in July 2013, and did it again Thursday.

At the status conference, Assistant U.S. Attorney William Weinreb told Judge George O’Toole Jr. that prosecutors would like Tsarnaev to be present Oct. 20 for what could be the final hearing before his scheduled Nov. 3 trial. Weinreb said prosecutors believe Tsarnaev should be at the hearing in case there are any issues that need to be addressed before trial.

David Bruck, one of Tsarnaev’s lawyers, was noncommittal on whether Tsarnaev will attend the hearing or the entire jury selection process.

“We’ll certainly take that up with him and see if there are any issues,” Bruck said.

Tsarnaev, 21, is being held in prison without bail as he awaits trial in last year’s attack.

Prosecutors say he and his older brother, Tamerlan, placed two pressure cooker bombs among crowds gathered near the marathon’s finish line. Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died in a shootout with police several days later.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers have asked to move the trial outside Massachusetts and to delay it by nearly a year, until Sept. 2015 at the earliest.

During Thursday’s hearing, O’Toole said he will rule soon on the two requests.

He denied a defense motion to hold a hearing on their change-of-venue motion, saying he will decide the issue based on legal briefs already filed by both sides.

During arguments on the request to delay the trial, Bruck told the judge that the defense team needs more time to go through reams of evidence turned over by prosecutors. Bruck also cited comments made on the day of the bombings by President Barack Obama, who said investigators would find out who carried out the attack and why.

“We the defense are part of the process of getting to the bottom of this and perhaps for finding out why, which is the question that everyone — everyone — wants answered,” he said.

Weinreb said the defense has had enough time to prepare for trial and do their own investigation of the case.

“We don’t think that simply allowing more and more time will materially improve the jury’s understanding of the case,” he said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote