Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial

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Long-delayed Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial to begin Monday, igniting pain, fear and hopes for closure

(JTA) — Every Thursday, Brad Orsini gets on a conference call with dozens of other security specialists who, like him, focus on preventing threats to American Jews. But in a few days, and for the coming months, the conference call won’t just address the dangers of the present and future. It will also deal with events that occurred more than four years ago. 

https://www.jta.org/2023/04/21/united-states/long-delayed-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-trial-to-kick-off-monday-igniting-pain-fear-and-hopes-for-closure?

Faith lifted Pittsburgh Jews in long wait for massacre trial

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Three Jewish congregations, resolute in their defiance of the hatred that tried to destroy them, are still waiting for justice.

https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-trial-tree-of-life-new-light-dor-hadash-d570872f806ac26bb0efc40ccdb94ca9

Death penalty looms over Pittsburgh synagogue massacre trial

The man charged in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history tried for years to avoid a federal jury trial, which would decide whether to convict him of shooting to death 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue. Ultimately those efforts failed, and jury selection is less than two weeks away.

https://apnews.com/article/tree-of-life-synagogue-shooting-death-penalty-64d85762a33e39353e8f29be0e551658?

Jury selection begins over 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue attack

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Prospective jurors said Monday that if they were to convict a man of killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, they would be capable of sentencing him to die.

https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-synagogue-mass-shooting-trial-e89661bba2d7e3beb48b6420d72ddb35

Mental health issue arises as synagogue massacre trial nears

A former truck driver about to face trial for a shooting massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue more than four years ago has schizophrenia and structural and functional brain impairments, his lawyers argued in a public court filing this week.

https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-synagogue-massacre-robert-bowers-c395a822a1a684d4c87fa079c59832f4?

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Following jury selection, Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial to begin May 30

(JTA) — The trial of the alleged shooter in the Pittsburgh synagogue attack is slated to begin May 30.

https://www.jta.org/2023/05/18/united-states/following-jury-selection-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-trial-to-begin-may-30?

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Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial live updates: Rabbi Jeffrey Myers’ tearful testimony ends 1st day

Harrowing 911 calls were among the first pieces of evidence introduced Tuesday in the trial against Robert Bowers, the man accused of killing 11 worshippers in the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/05/30/tree-of-life-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-trial-live-updates/stories/202305300018

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Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting trial opens with harrowing 911 call of victim’s last words

The federal death penalty trial of the man accused of killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October 2018 began Tuesday with harrowing audio of a 911 call featuring one of the victim’s last words.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/30/us/pittsburgh-tree-of-life-shooting-trial/index.html?

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In Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial, Jewish rituals feature as prominently as the carnage of the day

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — Testifying at the trial of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, Carol Black described how, right before he opened fire, she had taken her yarmulke and tallis out of her velvet tallis bag. 

https://www.jta.org/2023/05/31/united-states/in-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-trial-jewish-rituals-feature-as-prominently-as-the-carnage-of-the-day?

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She represents the ‘worst of the worst.’ Now Judy Clarke is leading the defense in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre trial.

PITTSBURGH (Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle via JTA) — When Judy Clarke delivered her opening statement to the jury that will determine the fate of the man charged with committing the massacre in the Tree of Life synagogue building, she did not deny that her client was responsible.

https://www.jta.org/2023/06/07/united-states/she-represents-the-worst-of-the-worst-now-judy-clarke-is-leading-the-defense-in-pittsburgh-synagogue-massacre-trial?

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Four and a half years ago in a Pittsburgh synagogue, a gunman committed the worst attack on Jews in American history. The second week of the trial of the man charged with the crime has just concluded.

 

Since May 30, when the trial of Robert Bowers began in Pittsburgh, the jury and spectators have heard the lawyers’ opening statements as well as testimony from survivors, SWAT team officers, 911 call center employees and more. Along with retelling the graphic details of the massacre and its aftermath, witnesses have given the courtroom a crash course in Jewish ritual, describing everything from prayer shawls to the Shema.

 

JTA has been covering the trial both in person and in partnership with the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. Here’s a selection of our reporting so far on one of the most consequential trials in American Jewish history. 

 

• Before the trial, JTA’s Ron Kampeas reported that the Jews of Squirrel Hill were grappling with how to approach the trial and discuss the tragedy. “The community is wrestling with questions such as where and whether to put the bullet-riddled artifacts, whether to worship at the site, whether to even speak of the massacre and how and whether the gunman lives or dies,” he wrote.
   
• As the trial opened, Kampeas reported that “while lawyers and witnesses recounted the events of the day, the courthouse was also the scene of embraces, tears of comfort, discussions of Jewish tradition and even laughter as those who lived through the tragedy connected with and supported one another.”
   
• And in the trial’s first couple days, Kampeas wrote, Jewish rituals featured prominently as witnesses sought to describe the significance and sacredness of Shabbat and the synagogue — the day and place desecrated by the gunman. “The painful collision on that Shabbat morning of the sacred and the profane is key to the prosecution’s case that the defendant merits the death penalty,” he wrote.
   
• Both the prosecution and the defense have acknowledged that the defendant committed the shooting. But his lawyer Judy Clarke, reports PJC’s Toby Tabachnick, has a singular focus: saving him from the death penalty. “It’s clear that Clarke is appalled by her client’s actions. It’s also clear that she is determined to see that his rights are protected and that the judge and the jury faithfully apply the rule of law,” she wrote.
   
• PJC, along with the Pittsburgh Union Progress, a local publication, have been reporting daily on the trial. The past several days have included testimony from police who rushed to the scene, a SWAT officer who described a shootout with the gunman, a forensic pathologist and a now-retired FBI agent who “testified about the painstaking process of not only documenting each item, but removing bullets and portions of bullets from walls, chairs and even a tree outside the building,” wrote PJC’s Adam Reinherz.

 

The trial will resume on Monday after a scheduled day off on Friday. We’ll continue covering the trial to its conclusion, including — if the defendant is found guilty — deliberation over whether he should get the death penalty. To stay updated, please visit our website as well as the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. 

 

JTA and the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle are covering the full Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial.

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Defense rests in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial without calling witnesses or presenting evidence

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — Defense attorneys in the trial of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter will not be calling witnesses or presenting evidence in court, following 11 days of harrowing testimony from witnesses called by the prosecution. 

https://www.jta.org/2023/06/14/politics/defense-lawyers-in-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-trial-will-not-call-witnesses-or-present-evidence?

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As jury launches deliberations in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, defense concedes shooter’s hatred of Jews

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — After 11 days of graphic and emotionally fraught testimony in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial, and a 90-minute closing argument that included gruesome photos and the replay of harrowing 911 calls, it was time for the defense to speak.

https://www.jta.org/2023/06/15/united-states/as-jury-launches-deliberations-in-pittsburgh-synagogue-massacre-defense-concedes-shooters-hatred-of-jews?

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Jury finds Pittsburgh synagogue shooter guilty on all counts

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — The gunman who committed the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history is guilty of all charges he faced, according to the verdict delivered by a federal jury on Friday morning.

https://www.jta.org/2023/06/16/united-states/jury-finds-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooter-guilty-on-all-counts?

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Pittsburgh trial enters new phase: Should the synagogue shooter get the death penalty?

PITTSBURGH (Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle via JTA) — Prosecutors have moved to block the convicted synagogue shooter and his defense team from presenting certain evidence to the jury during the next phase of the trial, such as comparing the case to others or putting a witness on the stand to argue that the death penalty is not a deterrent to murder.

https://www.jta.org/2023/06/26/united-states/pittsburgh-trial-enters-new-phase-should-the-synagogue-shooter-get-the-death-penalty?

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Pittsburgh trial: Defense claims synagogue shooter has brain abnormalities

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — Defense lawyers for the man convicted of murdering 11 Jewish worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue began detailing their argument that he should not be sentenced to death, calling witnesses to identify abnormalities in his brain.

https://www.jta.org/2023/06/28/politics/pittsburgh-trial-defense-claims-shooter-had-brain-abnormalities?

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The Pittsburgh synagogue shooter wasn’t acting alone

(JTA) — Earlier this month, as the jury in Pittsburgh handed down the verdict in the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in American history, I found myself walking into Shabbat services at a Berlin synagogue that had been destroyed on Kristallnacht.

https://www.jta.org/2023/06/28/ideas/the-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooter-wasnt-acting-alone?

 

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Pittsburgh synagogue gunman’s mental health is focus of punishment phase of death penalty trial

The Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooter acted irrationally due to mental health problems and had a history of psychotic symptoms consistent with schizophrenia, his defense attorneys said in the punishment phase of his death penalty trial Monday.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/26/us/pittsburgh-synagogue-death-penalty-trial/index.html

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Pittsburgh synagogue trial: Expert says antisemitism and white supremacism, not delusions, spurred shooter

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — The gunman who murdered 11 Jewish worshipers in a Pittsburgh synagogue did not suffer from delusions but was spurred by white supremacist radicalization, a storied forensic psychiatrist testified for the prosecution.

https://www.jta.org/2023/07/10/united-states/pittsburgh-synagogue-trial-expert-says-antisemitism-and-white-supremacism-not-delusions-spurred-shooter?

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‘The defendant deserves to answer for his crime’: Jury finds Pittsburgh synagogue gunman eligible for the death penalty

Jurors will now hear arguments from defense attorneys trying to spare his life, and prosecutors arguing he should be sentenced to death

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/07/13/pittsburgh-synagogue-tree-of-life-gunman-robert-bowers-death-penalty/stories/202307130096?

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Pittsburgh synagogue shooter is dismayed not to have inspired more attacks on Jews, psychiatrist testifies

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — “If I have chance, will continue war,” appeared in a scrawl on a notepad, projected onto large TV screens in the courtroom.

https://www.jta.org/2023/07/30/united-states/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooter-is-dismayed-not-to-have-inspired-more-attacks-on-jews-psychiatrist-testifies?

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Jury weighs death penalty or life in prison for Pittsburgh synagogue shooter

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A jury deliberated but did not reach a decision Tuesday on whether the man who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue should receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-death-penalty-42c8d961429ef600b69dda301c14006b?

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Pittsburgh synagogue shooting jurors are deliberating the death penalty for the 2nd day

(JTA) — Jurors weighing whether Robert Bowers should be put to death for murdering 11 Jews in a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 have entered their second day of deliberations.

https://www.jta.org/2023/08/02/united-states/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-jurors-are-deliberating-the-death-penalty-for-the-2nd-day?

Jury in Pittsburgh shooter case asks to see gunman’s weapons

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — Less than an hour after heading into deliberations, the jury considering whether to give a death sentence to the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter asked to see his weapons.

https://www.jta.org/2023/08/01/united-states/jury-in-pittsburgh-shooter-case-asks-to-see-gunmans-weapons?

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Pittsburgh synagogue shooter is sentenced to death

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — A jury has given the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter a death sentence, handing down the maximum punishment for the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history.

https://www.jta.org/2023/08/02/united-states/jury-gives-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooter-death-penalty?

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After synagogue gunman’s death sentence, Pittsburgh’s Jews feel relief, resilience — and gratitude

PITTSBURGH (JTA) — The overriding feeling in this city now that the gunman convicted of murdering 11 Jews here in 2018 has been sentenced to death is gratitude.

https://www.jta.org/2023/08/02/politics/after-synagogue-gunmans-death-sentence-pittsburghs-jews-feel-relief-resilience-and-gratitude?

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White supremacist man arrested for allegedly threatening jurors, witnesses in Pittsburgh shooting trial

(JTA) — Federal agents arrested a West Virginia man on Thursday for allegedly threatening jurors and witnesses in the trial of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, which culminated last week in a death sentence.

https://www.jta.org/2023/08/10/united-states/white-supremacist-man-arrested-for-allegedly-threatening-jurors-witnesses-in-pittsburgh-shooting-trial?

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White supremacist admits threatening jury and witnesses in Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s trial

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) — A self-proclaimed white supremacist pleaded guilty Tuesday to making online threats toward the jury and witnesses at the trial of a man who killed 11 congregants at a Pittsburgh synagogue, the U.S. Justice Department said.

https://local.newsbreak.com/pittsburgh-pa/3162671897760-white-supremacist-admits-threatening-jury-and-witnesses-in-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooters-trial?

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Tree of Life synagogue demolition begins ahead of rebuilding site of deadly antisemitic attack

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Demolition got underway Wednesday at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, as part of the effort to reimagine the building to honor the 11 people who were killed there in 2018.

https://apnews.com/article/tree-of-life-pittsburgh-memorial-8088c7fe1b7222300f56c7da7746a2e3?