Advertisement

Defense Asks Judge To Review Bulger Immunity Deal

Lawyers for reputed gangster James "Whitey" Bulger say they will ask the new trial judge to overturn a previous judge's ruling barring Bulger from using his claim of immunity as a defense.

At a court hearing Tuesday, Bulger attorney Hank Brennan said Bulger's claim that he received immunity for past and future crimes from a former federal prosecutor is a "very important issue."

"If the jury hears the overwhelming facts and proof, we're hopeful that a jury — a fair-minded jury — will find, in fact, that James Bulger did have immunity and they will not let the government renege on their promise," Brennan said.

Brennan says prosecutors have mischaracterized Bulger's immunity claim as a "license to kill." He says Bulger will testify during his trial that he received immunity even though he was not an FBI informant, as authorities have claimed for years.

U.S. District Judge Denise Casper says trial testimony will begin as scheduled on June 10.

The 83-year-old Bulger is accused of playing a role in 19 killings.

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom. 

Earlier:

This article was originally published on March 26, 2013.

This program aired on March 26, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close