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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev appeared in court under heavy security Thursday ahead of his trial next month for the bombing of the Boston Marathon, telling the judge he was satisfied with his lawyers.

Tsarnaev, wearing gray pants, a black sweater-vest and a tie, was led in handcuffs into a federal courthouse in Boston for a pretrial hearing. It was his first appearance since July 2013.

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Asked by the judge whether he had been kept up to speed on the court proceedings, Tsarnaev answered: “Yes, Your Honor.” Asked whether his lawyers were representing him adequately, he said, “They are.”

Jury selection begins Jan. 5 and could take as long as a month. The trial is expected to last several months. Tsarnaev, 21, faces 30 federal counts in the April 2013 attack on the marathon, which left three people dead and more than 260 injured. He could get the death penalty if convicted.

Both sides have submitted proposed questions for potential jurors, who will be selected from a pool of at least 1,200. The defense has tried unsuccessfully to have the case moved outside of Boston, citing public sentiment.

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A lot of security around the Moakley Federal Courthouse for #Tsarnaev's final pretrial hearing. DHS vehicles everywhere. — Lenny Rowe (@LRowe30) December 18, 2014

— Tom Winter and Sue Kroll