Whitey Bulger Pleads Not Guilty To 19 Murders
BOSTON (CBS/AP) - Whitey Bulger pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a racketeering indictment that accuses him of participating in 19 murders.
Bulger said "not guilty" in a clear voice several times during his arraignment on the 32-count indictment in U.S. District Court in Boston.
Bulger walked into the courtroom in shackles, and nodded to his brothers, William and John, who were seated in the front row.
His plea came 16 years after he fled following a federal agent's warning on a separate, pending indictment.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports.
Podcast
Bulger escaped prosecution until he was captured two weeks ago in Santa Monica, California.
WBZ-TV's Christina Hager reports
The arraignment came after Bulger's attorney, J.W. Carney, asked a judge to appoint his law partner, Janice Bassil, to help him defend Bulger in a case he says has a "host of complex legal issues."
Read: Carney's Request (.pdf)
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Bernice Corpuz reports about some of Bulger's assets:
Podcast
U.S. Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler said Wednesday that no appointment was needed because lawyers for the same firm are allowed to assist each other in cases.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
