Tsarnaev: ‘I’m sorry for the lives that I have taken’

[brooklynite]

Source: Boston Globe

Convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev addressed federal court today at his formal sentencing hearing. The hearing included impact statements made by dozens: survivors and victims’ family members.



Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/06/24/marathon-survivors-deliver-impact-statements-tsarnaev-formal-sentencing/xXnVLPlwHhQ5zj0kSjQWrJ/story.html?p1=ClickedOnBreakingNewsBox

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1. A little late...

2. Does anyone know why there's a sentencing hearing if his sentence was determined by the Jury?

[freshwest]

1. 1) Yup. 2) One sentence precludes the others.

[bluestateguy]

2. So

He's sorry for the lives taken, not for the people who were maimed, nor is he sorry for the bombing.

Asshole.

[Fred Sanders]

3. The fully transcribed apology is clear enough..... the lack of perfection in the apology is the complaint?

What would folks like to hear? What difference would it make?

“I would like to now apologize to the victims and to the survivors,” he said. “I want to ask for forgiveness from Allah ... I pray to Allah to bestow his mercy upon the deceased.”

Tsarnaev, who in May was convicted on multiple charges related to the bombing, cried as he spoke, and described learning about his victims after he placed the bombs on Boylston Street.

“Immediately after the bombing, which I am guilty of, let there be no doubt about that ... I learned about some of the victims ... I learned their names, their faces, their ages,” he said.

“More of those victims were given faces. And they had hearts and souls.”

[Igel]

8. I'll brush right up against the "this is outrageously offensive" line.

Why not? I've only had one post excised in 11 years.

When Roof issues his obligatory apology--and he will, his lawyer will see to it if the little prick needs to be drugged, his eyelids propped open, and a small Bluetooth speaker placed in his mouth with a person impersonating the Roofie voice--will he get such a one insisting on his apology and Roofous humanity?

It thinks me not.

I say this as somebody who already insists on thinking of the Dylann dork as a human being, just one worthy of extensive humiliation and abuse. I despise the death penalty; then again, I despise Social Security, traffic lights, grackles, chlorine in the water and pits in cherries and nectarines. And just don't get me started with princess pencils or smencils . However, I think that until something better comes along--and I don't see any vast improvements on these things in my lifetime, but I have to assume research continues--these are the best alternatives available, so I don't get too carried away in my despisings.

Except for the princess pencils and the smencils. We know there are better alternatives--toxic waste dumps, Fukushima, Ted Cruz come to mind as some of the less pleasant but still superior alternatives--but we just don't have the political will to implement them.

[Yo_Mama]

11. I'll be cynical - he may be hoping for clemency.

But I am glad for his own sake that he did apologize.

The reason why I am cynical is not that I don't believe he could have a change of heart, but he showed no evidence in his behavior AT ALL of realizing any of this immediately after the bombing. Quite the reverse.

Therefore this strikes me as possibly insincere.

[Fred Sanders]

12. It is entirely impossible to judge sincerity or the depth of remorse unless one is present in the courtroom to hear the tone of voice

and body language, etc...we will all have to just make our choice.

Same problem with comment boards...and emoticons do not help much.

[Yo_Mama]

15. It is the objective discrepancy which causes my cynicism

Because when he's saying that, I don't see how he could be sincere. Those who were around him stated that he showed no signs of being impacted at all in the few days until their flight, and even in the boat he was writing his last note justifying his actions. He participated in a carjacking and the murder of the cop days after the shooting. He plainly DIDN'T HAVE ANY REALIZATION OF MORAL GUILT. When he was interviewed in the hospital he didn't express remorse. That part is implying a lie. I'm sorry, it is objectively a lie or a sham that I think cannot be dismissed from any rational assessment.

The only reason I can see why he would make that part of the statement is that his lawyer dictated it, because she wants to pursue the "evil controlling older brother" meme in clemency appeals and she wants to push the concept "Brother gone - ZAP! radicalism disappears." Which is plainly untrue.

I hope he IS sincerely remorseful now for his own sake.

I wouldn't be able to judge anything by his emotions - he could be crying from remorse or crying from fear for himself.

Whether motivated by his own interests or by genuine remorse, I think he did an objectively good thing in court today. Hopefully it might cause some other young dude to think twice.

I also liked that he is reported to have quoted the "those who will not be merciful to Allah's creation" rule, because one of the results of his crimes has been to slander Muslims who interpret their religion very differently.

[Fred Sanders]

16. I hear what you say. But the definition of "remorse" is that it only can come post-crime.

And again, even if his lawyer dictated it, the delivery could only be seen in person as being sincere or not, that was my only point....physical presence is mandatory for accurate assessment of truthfulness, which is what it boils down to.

As to slandering all Muslims, this man did no more slandering than the KKK and the Dixie Swastika lovers slander all Christians, am I right?

[Yo_Mama]

17. Because it's a minority religion, the slander is more likely to stick in people's minds.

Yes, remorse can only come post-crime, but one would not expect a falsehood in a truly remorseful statement.

[uppityperson]

7. Did you read the linked article? "Victims and survivors"

“I would like to now apologize to the victims and to the survivors,” he said. “I want to ask for forgiveness from Allah ... I pray to Allah to bestow his mercy upon the deceased.”

[bluestateguy]

10. That's even more pathetic of him

and he concludes it by praying to his pretend God.

[uppityperson]

13. "he's not sorry for the people who were maimed", I show he apologized for them, asked god for

mercy for the victims and asked for forgiveness and your reply is "That's even more pathetic of him"? He apologizes for those maimed and you call it "even more pathetic"?

huh

[Fred Sanders]

18. That is what you get when folks get correctly diagnosed with "Headline Outragegousitis"

[MADem]

27. The people in the courtroom were left with an impression that his regret was not sincere.

Many thought his statement sounded canned and written by lawyers. See here:

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/boston-bombing-trial/nothing-sincere-bombing-victims-react-tsarnaev-apology-n381176

"I regret having ever wanted to hear him speak because what he said showed no remorse, no regret, and no empathy for what he's done to our lives," said Lynn Julian, who lives a block from the finish line where two bombs detonated on April 15, 2013, killing three and injuring more than 260.

http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Boston-Marathon-Bombing-Survivors-Tsarnaevs-Apology-Insincere-309610481.html

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz was also asked for her opinion on Tsarnaev's statement, and said what struck her was what the convicted bomber didn't say.
"He didn't renounce terrorism, he didn't renounce violent extremism," she said.
"He did this for political reasons," added Assistant U.S. Attorney William Weinreb, the lead prosecutor in the case.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/24/was-tsarnaev-s-apology-part-of-a-strategy-to-keep-him-alive.html

But will his last minute apology save his life?
Former federal judge Nancy Gertner says maybe.

“He couldn’t make it worse. He could only make it better,” says Gertner, a professor at Harvard Law School. “The defense really has to humanize Tsarnaev at every turn.”

And there may still be turns in this case. Even though this trial is over, Tsarnaev’s attorneys still have the right to appeal. In federal death penalty cases, this can take decades.

Legal experts predict Tsarnaev’s lawyers will appeal the case on the grounds that Tsarnaev couldn’t get a fair trial in the city he once bombed. But Gertner says they may be able to appeal if they can prove important mitigating evidence was withheld from the jury.

“The more we know of him—even in this little smidgen that’s evidence that the judge excluded, or evidence that they might not have been able to develop because of national security implications—would make a difference.”

Essentially, his lawyers could argue that they couldn’t show Tsarnaev was remorseful because Judge O’Toole wouldn’t let them.

[LanternWaste]

14. Continue moving your goalposts. Our sentiments are irrelevant anyway...

Continue moving your goalposts. Our sentiments are irrelevant anyway...

[msongs]

4. he is sorry he got caught and will spend his life in prison. too bad for him nt

[cosmicone]

5. I think the only way his death sentence can be reduced to life in prison

is if he gives a complete list of accomplices, sleeper cells, patrons, instigators and foreign agencies that may have helped with the names of their operatives. Should be about 100 people and he should be willing to testify against them.

If not, let him get the lethal injection pronto.

[Fred Sanders]

6. How can one provide evidence of something that does not exist? One can always hope.

The FBI has concluded there was none of what you imply.....but imply away, what does the FBI investigation not know than posters on DU do?

[Sunlei]

9. To apologize is the least he can do. If police had killed him in the boat he would be a martyr.

"I'm sorry", is not enough.

[Paper Roses]

19. Is this an appeal for sympathy? Tsarnaev had months to plan. Now he is sorry?

My opinion only: this is a plea for life as opposed to the death penalty. Does this evil person expect this plea or apology to clear his conscience? Convert his sentence? Nuts! So many suffered as he and his evil brother plotted the evil bombing.

I have no sympathy for this man. Be done with him ASAP.

[samsingh]

20. too little, too late

and i don't want my post hidden so i'll stop

[Chemisse]

21. I'm glad he apologized.

I won't debate its sincerity. Does it really matter?

The apology is a gesture that may provide a small measure of comfort to the victims and their families, especially those who are struggling to find a way to forgive.

[aikoaiko]

22. If he wanted mercy he needed to plead guilty before the trial and disclose fully.

Too late now little terrorist.

[FailureToCommunicate]

23. Too little too late.

He's a stinking rat of a human.

I don't care if it is Ramadan, and that helps him sees -belatedly- the error of his ways.

And yes, I read the whole transcript, not just the headlines.

But also, yes, I admit I'm a little close to this (aren't we all?)...

My son was at the finish line area, but not near enough to get anything worse than ringing in his ears, and a lingering sense of dread...

[Little Tich]

24. That's alright then, you can go home now...

Oh, wait...

[udbcrzy2]

25. Formal Sentencing

There will be a formal sentencing and the Judge could actually lessen the penalty to life instead of death if he wants to. I doubt that he will though.

[morningfog]

26. In federal court, probation conducts an investigation

into the crimes, the evidence and the defendant. They compile all their findings in a report on which the sentencing judge considers. Even if there is a mandatory sentence, with no discretion, a report is compiled.

The hearing is the process to give the government and the defense an opportunity to argue what the sentence should be.

His apology was too late and surprised me. You have to wonder if it would have save his life if he had given it during the penalty phase of the trial. There was at least one juror who was deciding most of the factors in his favor, but lack of remorse was a big one against him.

[Kalidurga]

28. I do not care.