Whitey Bulger Trial Date Set, But Victims Fear 'Delays'
Whitey Bulger's trial date is finally set, and the infamous Irish gangster will stand trial Nov. 5, later this year.
James "Whitey" Bulger was on the run for 16 years in connection to 19 gruesome murders, and now, after being caught in Santa Monica, Calif. in June, he will have to own up to the consequences.
One victim, Tom Donahue, whose father Michael was allegedly killed by Bulger, spoke out. "The biggest fear is delays," he told The Associated Press. He also stated that the families of the victims want justice for Whitey's crimes against their loved ones.
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In an effort to accomplish just that, a magistrate judge, Marianne Bowler, set the trial date for Whitey Bulger, rejecting his lawyer's request for at least a year to go through documentation relating to the case. Bulger's attorney, J.W. Carney, is tasked with poring over 500,000 documents and nearly 1,000 tapes released by prosecutors before preparing a suitable defense.
The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Kelly, dismissed Carney's call for more time as unadulterated stalling. He told The Associated Press that the 82-year-old defendant is trying his best to "run out the clock," and thus avoid a trial where evidence is not in his favor.
Judge Bowler agreed.
Although she admitted that building a case in lieu of all the evidence would be a "monumental task," she insisted that Nov. 5 be the trial date.
"To suggest that he needs a full year … I don't think that is appropriate," said the judge.
Carney will most likely have to hire other lawyers to help him with the case. The magistrate judge scheduled a status hearing for March 19 to keep tabs on the defense attorney's progress.
Whitey Bulger was allegedly the leader of the Winter Hill Gang and an FBI informant later in his bloody career. Bulger was wanted for extortion, loansharking, arms trafficking, drug trafficking- in which he collected payments from dealers, but never dealt himself- and murders.
In 1994, after the passage of the RICO Act, Whitey fled Boston, his hometown of crime, and remained at large for 16 years. He was arrested, June 22, 2011, with his girlfriend Catharine Greig.
