Both local dailies weigh in today with juror reaction to the James “Whitey” Bulger trial and verdict. And each brings something different to light about the jury deliberations, which resulted in guilty verdicts on 11 murder counts and 31 of 32 racketeering charges.
From the Boston Herald:
Juror: Debate over Whitey Bulger’s role in Davis’ murder ‘brutal’
The four women on the James “Whitey” Bulger jury were the hardest to convince that he took part in the 1981 strangulation of Debra Davis — the only killing the panel made no finding on in its historic verdict this week — one juror told the Herald.
Scott Hotyckey, 47, of Framingham, said the debate over whether Bulger played a role in Davis’ murder was “brutal” and greatly influenced by the daily courtroom presence of her brother, Steven Davis, who testified in the trial and also lashed out in the courtroom at her ex-boyfriend, Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi.
Hotyckey added, “It seems to me that some of the jurors didn’t like Steven Davis’ testimony. They thought he was very emotional. I said, ‘I don’t understand. It was his sister.’ ”
Interesting.
Among his other observations:
• Jurors initially wanted guilty verdicts in the murders of Michael Milano, Albert Plummer, William O’Brien, James O’Toole, Al Notarangeli and James Sousa, but changed the findings to “not proven” because the jury ultimately discounted the testimony of hit man John Martorano.
“They said the government didn’t do enough to prove them,” Hotyckey said.
• Some jurors were frightened of the government’s mobbed-up witnesses. Hotyckey said he laughed the paranoia off. “It didn’t seem other people were laughing,” he said.
• Some jurors said they went directly to sleep when they got home, out of sheer mental exhaustion.
Hotyckey also said “jurors wanted to hear Bulger testify.” Join the crowd, kids.
Crosstown, the Boston Globe also talked to Hotyckey, but added a second juror to the mix. (Both papers have video posted on their websites.)
Witnesses raised Bulger jurors’ ire, suspicions
Some jurors grew so irate while debating the testimony of the career criminals in James “Whitey” Bulger’s trial that they shouted at each other. Others were so nervous about crossing the South Boston underworld that they popped aspirin to soothe headaches, according to one of the jurors.
For five days, the jury of four women and eight men pored over lengthy instructions from the judge, sheaves of evidence, and grisly crime scene photos . . .
Juror Janet Uhlar, 56, of Eastham said she was sickened to hear from witnesses who were walking free despite committing several murders.
“It was a very disgusting feeling, actually, a dirty feeling,” said Uhlar, a nurse and author of biographies on figures from the American Revolution.
Uhlar added, “It really broke my heart to see that happening, to see what our founding fathers laid down their lives for, the judicial system, corrupted like that.”
At least we’re done looking at it. For now. Can’t imagine how many books will come out of this fiasco.
And not all that anxious to read any of them, either.
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