Bulger wants Santa Monica apartment cash to go to families that sued

This undated photo filed in federal court in Boston by defense attorneys for James "Whitey" Bulger on Wednesday shows Bulger holding a goat at an unknown location. The photo was among several that showed a softer side of Bulger, which prosecutors complained were an attempt to salvage his reputation.

By From Associated Press

Aug. 2, 2013 11:08 AM PT

BOSTON — James “Whitey” Bulger wants the $822,000 in cash seized from his apartment in Santa Monica to go to relatives of victims who won monetary judgments in lawsuits but then saw those awards overturned on appeal, his lawyer told a judge Friday.

The news came just before Bulger, 83, called the trial a “sham” and said he would not be testifying.

The reputed mob boss is on trial in a broad racketeering indictment that accuses him of participating in 19 murders in the 1970s and ‘80s as leader of the Winter Hill Gang. He has pleaded not guilty.

PHOTOS: The hunt for James “Whitey” Bulger

The day began with defense attorney J.W. Carney Jr. telling Judge Denise Casper that Bulger made the request about the seized cash while lawyers were discussing whether the money should be part of the jury deliberations.

Carney said Bulger wants the money to go to families who had civil judgments overturned by a federal appeals court because the statute of limitations had expired.

It appears that two families fall into that category: relatives of Michael Donahue and Edward “Brian” Halloran. In 2011, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier decision that ruled the two families didn’t file their lawsuits against the FBI in time.

Other victims’ families have had their lawsuits tossed before trial and some have won judgments against the government, but Carney specifically cited those whose judgments were thrown out by the 1st Circuit.

Prosecutor Brian Kelly said it has always been the intention of the government to give Bulger’s seized assets to victims’ families, but he said he isn’t sure Bulger “can dictate which ones get” money.

If he’s convicted, Bulger would have to give up his assets anyway. It is routine for the government to seek forfeiture of assets acquired through illegal activities.

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