Jury Selection Begins In Bulger Trial

Jury selection has begun in the trial of reputed gangster James ``Whitey'' Bulger.

    The 83-year-old Bulger is charged in a broad racketeering indictment with a long list of crimes, including participating in 19 murders. He was one of the nation's most wanted fugitives after he fled Boston in 1994. He was on the run for 16 years until being captured in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011.

    Beginning today, a pool of 675 people from eastern Massachusetts will be called for jury duty. Potential jurors will spend today and tomorrow filling out lengthy questionnaires intended to screen out people with conflicts.

    Once the pool is winnowed down, potential jurors will be questioned individually.

    Judge Denise Casper says the names of jurors will not be made public until the end of the trial.  (Associated Press)