Supreme Court Rejects Whitey Bulger’s Appeal

Photo courtesy of Jane Flavell Collins

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied South Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger’s last-ditch appeal of his lifetime sentence and racketeering convictions.

Bulger argued that he should have been able to tell the jury that he had an agreement with a since-deceased federal prosector that granted him immunity, something the judge forbid him from doing. He also argued that prosecutors failed to disclose to the jury “promises, rewards and inducements” made to Johnny “The Executioner” Martorano, a hitman who testified against him.

Bulger, 87, was captured in 2011 after spending 17 years on the lam. A jury convicted Bulger in 2013 following a high-profile trial. The Supreme Court made no mention of Bulger’s role in 11 murders and a litany of other crimes.

Since beginning his two lifetime sentences in a Florida penitentiary, Bulger has panned Johnny Depp’s portrayal of him in Black Mass, got disciplined for masturbating with the lights on, and redirected his Boston magazine subscription to his new digs.