Recent Jury Box Blog Entries

Subscribe to The Jury Box Blog

Friday, June 24, 2011

Can Whitey Bulger Get a Fair Trial in Massachusetts?

Interview on WBZ Radio 1030


This morning, I was interviewed by Carl Stevens of WBZ Radio 1030, the major all-news radio station here in the Boston area. Carl wanted to know what I thought were the challenges associated with seating an impartial jury to try someone so locally notorious.

I talked a bit about how important it will be to handle jury selection properly from a procedural perspective. The list of jury panel members must be made available to the attorneys well in advance. There must be a very extensive supplemental juror questionnaire (SJQ). Finally, there must be meaningful voir dire, ideally conducted by the attorneys, not the judge.

I also speculated a bit about the importance of young people and recent Massachusetts transplants, who aren't so familiar with Whitey Bulger's history in the Commonwealth.
I'll be sure to blog about developments as they seem important.

3 comments:

  1. WBZ also put up on its website a short article based on the interview. WBZ TV4 anchors made reference to it in Friday night's 11 pm newscast. That story can be found at http://cbsloc.al/ihn3tG.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Most excellent post... hope others appreciate this excellent analogy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous2:13 PM

    The trial should be moved out of Massachusetts.

    Bulger will probably still get convicted, but at least, there wouldn't be so much bias among jurors.

    ReplyDelete