Jury selection has resumed this morning in the federal trial of notorious gangster James “Whitey†Bulger, who allegedly rampaged through Boston’s underworld for decades, playing a role in 19 murders in the 1970s and 1980s.
An initial pool of hundreds has been narrowed down to 70 and US District Judge Denise J. Casper is hoping to narrow that number to 18 today, to provide 12 jurors and six alternates for the trial.
Federal prosecutors told the judge this morning that they had performed criminal background checks on the 70 people and found that 13 had some type of record. The judge had previously authorized the checks. One juror, the check found, had four felony convictions.
Dozens of potential jurors were questioned Monday about whether they are fit to decide the case against Bulger, telling a variety of stories, the Globe reports this morning.
Casper is also mulling a request by the defense to delay opening statements in the trial. The defense wants time to investigate alllegations that the prosecution has ignored recent crimes by a hit man-turned-government witness.
For updates on the trial, check out the boston.com liveblog or follow @MiltonValenciaand @shelleymurph on Twitter.
