Boston bombing trials won’t be moved out of Massachusets

Three friends of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be tried separately on charges of obstruction of justice and lying to investgators, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, while rejecting a defense bid to move the proceedings out of Massachusetts.

U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock in Boston ruled on a variety of motions filed on behalf of Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev and Robel Phillipos.

Tazhayakov, Kadyrbayev and Phillipos will be tried on June 30, Sept. 8, and Sept. 29, respectively, Christina Sterling, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz in Boston, told the Los Angeles Times.

Woodlock rejected arguments by the defense that none of the trio could receive a fair trial in Massachusetts because of the heightened emotions caused by last year’s Boston Marathon bombings.