Tsarnaev Pleads Not Guilty, Blows a Kiss

His arm in a cast and his face swollen, a blase-looking Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty today in the Boston Marathon bombing in a seven-minute proceeding that marked his first public appearance since his capture in mid-April. As victims of the bombing looked on, Tsarnaev, 19, gave a small, lopsided smile to his sisters upon arriving in the courtroom. He appeared to have a jaw injury, and there was swelling around his left eye and cheek.

Then, after he leaned in toward a microphone and said, "Not guilty" over and over in a Russian accent, he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, making a kissing gesture toward his family with his lips. His sister sobbed loudly, resting her head on a woman seated next to her. Tsarnaev faces 30 federal charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction to kill, and could get the death penalty if prosecutors choose to pursue it. Tsarnaev looked much as he did in a photo widely circulated after his arrest, his hair curly and unkempt. He appeared nonchalant, almost bored during the hearing. The cast covered his left forearm, his hand, and his fingers. (More Boston Marathon bombing stories.)