BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev quietly sat with his lawyers in an assembly room at US District Court in South Boston on Monday as federal judge George O'Toole spoke to about 400 potential jurors in two different sessions about how they may be chosen to decide Tsarnaev's ultimate fate.
Security at the Seaport District court house is high, homeland security making its presence felt on Northern Avenue on one side, and the Coast Guard in Boston Harbor on the other.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is facing 30 charges for allegedly helping his brother Tamerlan place bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line in April, 2013.
Three people were killed, and more than 260 others were hurt.
And days later the feds say Tsarnaev and his brother shot and killed MIT police officer Sean Collier as they tried to flee the area.
In court, Judge O'Toole urged potential jurors to be honest as they answer questionnaires that will be used to winnow down the jury pool.
He also warned each potential juror not to conduct web searches, speak to the press, or anyone else about the case, post on social media or risk a contempt of court charge against them.
If convicted, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces the death penalty.
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Judge O'Toole told potential jurors they must be able to impose the ultimate punishment, if they find the government makes its case against Tsarnaev that the death penalty is warranted.
Judge O'Toole told them the decision to sentence Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death will rest with only with the jury, not the judge, and not the prosecution.
Another round of potential jurors will arrive Tuesday.
The trial is expected to start in earnest on Jan. 26, after three weeks of selection. He expects it to last three to four months.
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