Airman Teixeira was scheduled for a detention hearing in federal court in Boston earlier this month. But his lawyer, Brendan Kelley, asked for more time to deal with the government’s arguments, and the magistrate, David. H. Hennessey quickly agreed.
The next big step is likely to be the filing of an indictment by the grand jury, which would include a much more detailed account of the charges against Airman Teixeira, including a more specific justification of the charges awaiting him.
Worcester, a town 50 miles west of Boston, is home to Judge Hennessey’s courtroom. But the case will eventually be assigned to a federal judge in Boston, assuming it’s not moved out of Massachusetts entirely, which people with knowledge of the situation say remains a possibility.
Justice Department officials have considered moving the case to the Eastern District of Virginia because the Pentagon is under its jurisdiction and its attorneys have extensive experience investigating such cases.
But it’s not clear whether federal judges in Massachusetts, where Airman Teixeira lived and worked, will be willing to do so, and U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael S. Rollins, a Biden appointee, believes her office is capable of to handle the case. important, said people familiar with the situation.
When asked about the case this week, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen was noncommittal.
“It is currently being prosecuted and is taking place in the Massachusetts district of Boston,” said Mr. Olsen, who declined to comment further.
