United States v. Tsarnaev (2022)

United States v. Tsarnaev was a SCOTUS in the Classroom case. It was decided on March 4, 2022.

Each term Street Law selects the most classroom-relevant, student-friendly cases as our SCOTUS in the Classroom cases. Teachers are encouraged to conduct moot courts the same week the case is argued, giving students the opportunity to follow discussion and analysis in the news and listen to or read a transcript of the actual oral arguments.

Case Issues:

1. Did the U.S. Court of Appeals err when it vacated (dismissed) Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentences on the ground that the District Court during voir dire did not ask each prospective juror for a specific accounting of the pretrial media coverage that they had read heard or seen about Tsarnaev’s case?
2. Did the U.S. Court of Appeals err in concluding that the District Court should have admitted evidence at the sentencing phase of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s trial that Tsarnaev’s older brother, Tamerlan, was allegedly involved in different crimes two years before the offenses for which Tsarnaev was convicted?

Case Briefs:

• Brief of Petitioner: United States
• Brief of Respondent: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Oral Argument:

• Audio recording and transcript of the oral argument from the Supreme Court

Decision:

• Link to the opinion of the Court

News Articles and Resources:

• AP News: “US urges court to reimpose Boston bomber’s death sentence” (June 15, 2021)
• Reuters: “Biden administration pushes for Boston Marathon bomber death sentence” (June 15, 2021)

How to Conduct a Moot Court or a Mini-Moot Court:

• Classroom Guide to Moot Courts
• Mini-Moot Courts Resource Bundle and Video