Boston ( CNN ) -- Rebuffing his lawyers ' request , a federal judge has set the trial date for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for November 3 . The date was set during a status hearing in Boston federal court Wednesday . On Monday , Tsarnaev 's lawyers had filed a report requesting that the trial start no earlier than September 2015 . Tsarnaev 's lawyers said they had not had a chance to review the many pieces of physical evidence , `` including nearly 2,000 items that reportedly are still being analyzed by the FBI and items kept at additional locations . '' They were unable to sway Judge George O'Toole . `` I think this is a realistic and fair date , '' he said Wednesday . Judy Clarke , Tsarnaev 's lead attorney , said `` meeting the trial date will be impossible . '' Prosecutors to seek death penalty . Prosecutors said they estimate the trial would last approximately 12 weeks . If Tsarnaev is found guilty , prosecutors expect the sentencing hearing would last approximately six weeks . Jurors will not only weigh whether he 's guilty but also whether he deserves to die . Federal prosecutors said last month they 'll seek the death penalty against Tsarnaev , arguing that he acted in `` an especially heinous , cruel and depraved manner '' and lacks remorse . Tsarnaev is charged with 30 federal counts stemming from the April 15 attack , which left three people dead and more than 250 others injured . Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to all charges . Authorities allege Tsarnaev , a Chechnya-born American , and his brother , Tamerlan , planted two homemade bombs near the finish line of the marathon , then killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer three days later . The attacks triggered the massive manhunt that led to Tsarnaev 's capture . Police shot and killed Tamerlan Tsarnaev during the manhunt . For victims , death penalty decision a 'step forward '
NEW : Judge says it 's a `` realistic and fair date '' but not too soon. Prosecutors say the trial will last about 12 weeks . They will seek the death penalty .