Progressives Celebrate After Appeals Court Overturns Death Sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the Boston Marathon Bombing

It was announced today that a Federal appeals court has overturned the death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the Boston Marathon bombing. Lawyers argued in the case that media coverage made it impossible to have a fair trial in Boston.

BREAKING: Federal appeals court overturns death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the Boston Marathon bombing; Lawyers argued media coverage made it impossible to have a fair trial in Boston – WNBC

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 31, 2020

Progressives on Twitter celebrated the news with UVA Serpentine Society chair and LGBTQ rights advocate Brendan Wynn calling it “Good news for anyone who wants to build a less barbaric world than people like Tsarnaev would like for us to live in.”

Good news for anyone who wants to build a less barbaric world than people like Tsarnaev would like for us to live in. #dzhokhartsarnaev https://t.co/2qS2IVhY9f

— Brendan Maupin Wynn (@Brendanwynn) July 31, 2020

A self-proclaimed Anti-Fascist and Pro-Human Rights twitter user responded to the news by saying “Good. The state should not have the power to murder.”

Good. The state should not have the power to murder.

— black labor matters???? (@OneTrueShaun) July 31, 2020

A progressive user, Carlos, had what appeared to be the most liked response to the AP tweet, and he said, “This is good news. Abolish the death penalty. Not even the worst people in society should be given the death sentence.”

This is good news. Abolish the death penalty. Not even the worst people in society should be given the death sentence.

— carlos (@caguirre94) July 31, 2020

Patricia Campbell, the mother of a 29-year-old killed in the attack, Krystle Campbell, expressed outrage at the court’s decision.

“I just don’t understand it. It’s just terrible that he’s allowed to live his life. It’s unfair. He didn’t wake up one morning and decide to do what he did. He planned it out. He did a vicious, ugly thing,” Campbell told The Boston Globe.

Former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officer Dic Donohue, who was severely injured in a gunfight with Dzhokar and his older brother, tweeted that he expected the ruling but the only surprising part was that it is in “2020.”

I guess the only surprising part is that it is in “2020.”

— Dic Donohue (@DicDonohue) July 31, 2020