No. 20-443October Term 2020Decided Mar 4, 2022Updated May 24, 2026
United States v. Tsarnaev
This case arose from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence for the Boston Marathon bombing and related crimes.
Case status
Decided 6-3 · March 4, 2022
Read the opinion (PDF)- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Mar 4, 2022
- What it's about
This case arose from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence for the Boston Marathon bombing and related crimes. The Supreme Court considered whether the First Circuit was wrong to throw out his capital sentence because of how the trial court questioned jurors about pretrial publicity and because it kept out evidence that his older brother may have been involved in a separate triple homicide.
Question presented
1. Whether the court of appeals erred in concluding that respondent’s capital sentences must be vacated on the ground that the district court, during its 21-day voir dire, did not ask each prospective juror for a specific accounting of the pretrial media coverage that he or she had read, heard, or seen about respondent’s case. 2. Whether the district court committed reversible error at the penalty phase of respondent’s trial by excluding evidence that respondent’s older brother was allegedly involved in different crimes two years before the offenses for which respondent was convicted.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit / Decision released Mar 4, 2022
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided March 4, 2022
The Court released its decision on March 4, 2022 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity6
Brief added: Questions Presented
May 24, 2026 | Court records
Opinion added: opinion
Mar 4, 2022 | Court records
Court Order added: Main Document
Jun 21, 2021 | Court records
Court Order added: Certificate of Word Count
Jun 21, 2021 | Court records
Court Order added: Proof of Service
Jun 21, 2021 | Court records
Brief added: Petition
Oct 6, 2020 | Court records
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology
Primary materials9
Supreme Court docket 20-443
docket | Jul 25, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Jul 25, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Jul 25, 2026
Questions Presented
brief | May 24, 2026
Opinion
opinion | Mar 4, 2022
Main Document
order | Jun 21, 2021
Certificate of Word Count
order | Jun 21, 2021
Proof of Service
order | Jun 21, 2021
Petition
brief | Oct 6, 2020