Poll: Majority of Bostonians Prefer Life in Prison for Tsarnaev
The results of a new poll released by WBUR Monday show that most Bostonians would prefer that accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev receive life in prison if convicted, rather than face execution.
Of the 229 registered Boston voters polled, 62 percent said they believe Tsarnaev should be sentenced to life in prison if convicted, while 27 percent said he should be put to death.
In another poll of 504 residents of the Greater Boston area — encompassing cities and towns within and along Route 128 — 49 percent said he should receive life in prison, while 38 percent said he should receive the death penalty. The phone survey was conducted March 16-18.
“To see such a strong preference in Boston for life in prison was not necessarily guaranteed or expected,’’ Steve Koczela of The MassINC Polling Group told WBUR.
Currently on trial, Tsarnaev faces 30 charges related to the marathon bombing and the ensuing shooting death of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier and shootout with police in Watertown in April 2013. Seventeen of those charges carry the possibility of the death penalty.
Click here to view the full WBUR report.
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