The man accused of killing eleven people in a mass shooting last year at a synagogue in Pittsburgh now has new legal representation.
Judy Clarke has been appointed as additional counsel for defendant Robert Bowers. Clarke is a specialist in death penalty matters and has represented many high-profile defendants like the Boston Marathon bomber, the Unabomber and the Atlanta Olympics bomber.
Bowers is being represented by the federal public defender’s office. Clarke was assigned to the case by a judge.
46-year-old Bowers is facing 44 criminal charges, 32 of which carry a maximum penalty of death. Federal prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty, though the final decision rests with the U.S. Attorney General’s office, which has yet to make a formal announcement. Pennsylvania has a moratorium on the death penalty in place but it won’t apply because this is a federal prosecution.