Crime & Safety
Bulger's Lawyer Says Alleged Mobster Had Immunity, Wants All Charges Dropped
The trial date in the case against James "Whitey" Bulger has been pushed back from November to March of 2013, according to media reports.
Lawyers for James "Whitey" Bulger said in a court filing Monday that the notorious alleged mobster had an immunity deal with the government, and therefore charges against him should be dropped, according to media reports.
According to Boston.com, Monday's court filing says Bulger struck a deal with the Department of Justice in the 1970s and "the immunity agreement fully protects the defendant from prosecution for all of the crimes currently under indictment."
Bulger, who was a fugitive for 16 years, is charged with being connected to 19 murders, in addition to other charges.
Find out what's happening in South Endwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
On Monday, Bulger's lawyers also said that the judge in the trial, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Stearns, should recuse himself because he was a former federal prosecutor, Boston.com reports.
According to WBUR, Bulger's lawyers, who had asked for the trial date to be delayed by a year, succeeded in pushing it back from November to March of 2013.
Find out what's happening in South Endwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
More on Bulger and the Winter Hill Gang
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.