Bulger attorney J. W. Carney Jr.
Credit: Michael Naughton/Metro
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Kelly today asked that James “Whitey” Bulger’s attorney, J.W. Carney, refrain from giving interviews to the media, although he said it’s one thing if Carney wants to share his “strange personal habits” like getting his toenails painted purple.
As jury deliberations began Friday, Kelly presented Judge Denise Casper with a Boston Herald article, titled “Whitey Bulger’s lawyers praise diligent jury,” that quoted Carney as saying, “The longer the jury stays out, the more it shows us they are as conscientious a jury as I have ever seen. I know the prosecutors believe that and the judge believes that.”
Kelly painted the interview as an “obvious” attempt to sway the jury, and asked the “judge to tell defense to stop talking to media.”
The bit about the “strange personal habits” was a nod to Carney’s display of his purple-painted toenails to members of the media, which he said were painted during a pedicure on Thursday.
Casper took a copy of the article, and said she was taking the article under advisement.
The jury has deliberated for roughly 24 hours since Tuesday.
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