Big Bucks, Frayed Nerves And Slow Progress As Death Spectacles in Boston, Aurora Drag On

Heather Abbott is wearing high heels again, and that’s no small accomplishment.

Almost two years ago, when bombs ripped through crowds near the Boston Marathon finish line, Abbott, a 40-year-old human resources manager, lost her right leg below the knee. It took time, but now she goes stand-up paddle-boarding and has started a foundation to help other amputees.

Time hasn’t been so kind to those who want to see 21-year-old accused bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev answer for his alleged crimes. Jury selection in the federal death penalty trial drags on, as it does across the country, in Colorado, where the state court trial of accused theater shooter James Holmes simmers in drawn-out jury selection.

A key reason for each trial’s uncertain start date is the death penalty. While there are capital punishment advocates who want to see defendants in both cases pay the ultimate price, nobody denies that the slow progress frays nerves.

Avoiding a lengthy trial for either Tsarnaev or Holmes hasn’t looked likely. One of Tsarnaev’s attorneys, Judy Clarke, reached life-sentence plea deals for Ted Kaczynski, the so-called Unabomber, and Jared Loughner, the shooter who killed six and wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. But prosecutors in Boston don’t appear interested in a similar offer. Prosecutors rejected an early guilty plea from Holmes to avert the death penalty.

It’s tough to estimate the cost of these trials, as much of the information about spending is not publicly available, such as the budget set by the judge for Tsarnaev’s public defenders. A gag order restricts information about Holmes’ trial.

A Seattle University study published data this month showing death penalty trials cost $1 million more than life-without-parole cases in Washington. The public there, like residents in Massachusetts and Colorado watching the trials, should know how much prosecuting death penalty cases cost, said the report’s co-author, Peter Collins.

“I want to know if they’re being responsible with the money,” Collins told HuffPost. “It’s up for the voters and people we elect to decide.”

The Huffington Post