The Boston crime boss, James (Whitey) Bulger, has been on trial for alleged involvement in 19 murders in 1970s and 80s. The notorious mobster was arrested after the FBI received a tip about his location in Santa Monica, California in 2011 after years on the run. The mob boss was an alleged FBI informant, which confused the defenses case during the trial. According to NY Daily News, the defense spent a significant amount of time arguing that Bulger never was an informant, but as the trial drew to a close Bulger had an outburst in which he exclaimed to Judge Denise Casper that the trial “is a sham” when she questioned him on his decision not to defend himself on the stand. He continued that he had made a deal with the late Jeremiah O’Sullivan, head of the New England Organized Crime Strike Force and later a Boston U.S. Attorney, in which Bulger claims he was granted immunity. As “Whitey’s” explosion contradicted his defense’s argument, it started to make sense why he was refusing to testify on his own behalf.
The families of some of the victims were courtroom, and one woman, Patricia Donahue, exclaimed, “You’re a coward,” after Bulger’s rant about why he wouldn’t testify.
Although James (Whitey) Bulger may spend the remainder of his life in prison, he has indicated that he wants his nearly $822,000 seized from his Santa Monica home to go to the families of two of his victims. A CNN news article stated that in 2009, the families of Michael Donahue and Brian Halloran won a judgment against Bulger, but it was later thrown out by an appeals court. It’s not clear, however, whether or not Bulger can dictate how much goes to whom of his assets at they have been seized and as of now are no longer his. Brian Kelly, prosecutor, says that the government was already intending on giving Bulger’s seized assets to the victims’ families.
Michael Donahue’s son, Tommy, showed appreciation to defense attorneys Carney and Brennan after the announcement that Bulger would forfeit his assets to the Donahue and Halloran families by stating, “I tip my hat to Carney and Brennan.”
Good defense attorneys know the law well and work within it to accomplish the best possible outcome, for the accused as well as the alleged victims. Attorney Elliot Green in Brooklyn, NY is well versed in complex cases and works for best outcome.
New York is no stranger to organized crime and alleged criminals who must be fairly represented in the U.S. legal system by defense attorneys. It takes a top-notch lawyer to handle high profile cases at things can get hairy.
The Bulger trial has proved to be an example of one of these cases. On top of outbursts, notorious characters, wild allegations, and a large number of witnesses one man who the prosecution was planning on calling to the stand (but later decided not to) was murdered.
Stephen (Stippo) Rakes was found dead on July 17 after he was apparently poisoned by cyanide laced coffee and dumped on a wooden path. William Camuti has been charged with attempted murder, unlawful disposition of human remains, and misleading police. Murder may be added to the list if the autopsy report concludes that cyanide was the cause of Rakes’ death. The two worked together and Camuti owed Rakes a large amount of money. Although it doesn’t seem that the murder was related to Rakes’ longtime feud with Bulger, it is clear that another trial will ensue.
A main component of the U.S. legal system is a fair trial and for that to exist each party must also have a right to representation. Attorney Elliot Green serving Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island New York has the knowledge and experience to fairly represent clients in criminal law.
