First Bulger, soon bomber

If you thought Boston's Joseph J. Moakley Courthouse was about to get a breather after the months-long trial of James "Whitey" Bulger, you were wrong.

In late September, an initial status conference will take place in federal court for accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. (Federal court calendars are, of course, subject to change. But that's the plan as we know it now.) In June, Tsarnaev was indicted on 30 counts, including the use of weapons of mass destruction and homicide. He pleaded not guilty.

According to the court docket, prosecutors expect the trial of Tsarnaev to last 3 to 4 months, during which time they anticipate calling 80 to 100 witnesses. It remains to be seen how soon the trial will begin. And Dzhokhar has amassed a significant number of supporters, so the trial is expected to be a bit of a spectacle from that perspective.

And just this week, two college friends of Tsarnaev - Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov - were arraigned on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice as well as obstructing justice with the intent to impede an investigation. A third friend - Robel Phillipos - also faces charges of lying to investigators.

Read more about the accused bombers and the network of people you'll be hearing from (and about) in the weeks and months to come. ChartGirl on The Bombers, Et Al.