Judge Sets Nov. Trial Date For 'Whitey' Bulger

A judge has set a Nov. 5 trial date for reputed gangster James "Whitey" Bulger in federal court in Boston.

The decision follows an appeal from defense attorney J.W. Carney, who said that his team needs significantly more time and manpower to prepare for the Bulger trial.

In court documents filed Monday, Carney called the government's production of documents "a tsunami's worth of discovery" going all the way back to 1976. He estimated it would take him at least a year to go through hundreds of thousands of pages of documents and hundreds of tape recordings prosecutors have turned over since Bulger was captured in June.

Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler said Monday she understood what a "monumental task" reviewing the materials will be and said would consider a request to hire more attorneys.

Bulger, a former FBI informant, is accused of participating in 19 murders. He was captured in Santa Monica, Calif., after 16 years on the run.

Bowler said she felt she had to set a date. Prosecutors objected to a long delay, saying they believe 82-year-old Bulger is trying to avoid trial.

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom