Bulger’s lawyer, J.W. Carney Jr., who had said that it would take at least a year to review an estimated 580,000 documents, 910 tapes of wiretaps, and additional evidence, immediately objected to the trial date, telling the magistrate, “We can’t possibly be ready.’’
But Bowler stood by the date. She urged prosecutors to help the defense organize and sort through the voluminous evidence to make sure the case stays on track.
Relatives of two of Bulger’s alleged victims attended yesterday’s hearing in federal court in Boston and told reporters afterward that they were happy and relieved that Bulger finally has a trial date.
“To delay it would torture guys like me,’’ said Tom Donahue, whose father, Michael Donahue, was an innocent bystander allegedly gunned down by Bulger in 1982 while giving a ride home to a man targeted by the gangster.
Steve Davis - whose sister, Debra Davis, 26, was allegedly strangled by Bulger in 1981 - said his biggest fear is that the aging Bulger will die before going to trial.
Assistant US Attorney Brian T. Kelly argued in court yesterday that Bulger was trying to avoid a trial. “Frankly, it appears to us that Mr. Bulger is trying to run out the clock and delay it so he doesn’t have a trial,’’ he said. “We don’t need to delay this endlessly for discovery issues that are irrelevant.’’
Kelly said prosecutors had turned over all of the evidence in the case to the defense in August.
Bulger, a longtime FBI informant, had been warned by his former FBI handler to flee just before his January 1995, federal racketeering indictment.
The former South Boston crime boss, who had been a fixture on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list, was captured in Santa Monica, Calif., last June, along with his girlfriend, Catherine Greig. Bulger is being held without bail at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. He did not attend yesterday’s hearing because it was a routine status conference.
