'Whitey' Bulger wants public defender, FBI leaks stopped

Boston (CNN) -- An attorney for James "Whitey'' Bulger has petitioned a U.S. District judge to combine two pending racketeering charges against the reputed mobster, rather than allow prosecutors to drop the less severe charge against him, according to court documents acquired Thursday.

The move, prosecutors say, is meant to complicate the case against Bulger for racketeering and 19 murder charges he faces.

U.S. District judge Judge Mark Wolf is expected to decide whether the two indictments should be merged at the first of two hearings at Thursday afternoon in Boston.

Defense attorney Peter Krupp has accused federal prosecutors of dropping the less serious charge in order to "game the system" and allow a different judge to hear the case. "Having encountered difficult questions from this court in lengthy hearings in the late 1990s, the government chose to have the newest allegations returned in a separate indictment, so that it might be assigned a different docket and drawn to different judge," said Krupp.

The racketeering indictment, filed in 1995, was assigned to Wolf. The murder charges are part of a case brought in 2000 and assigned to a different judge.

"The government's apparent forum shopping is contrary to the public interest and undermines public confidence in the judicial process," Krupp argued. "The government's actions, choosing to pursue a new indictment, rather than a superseding indictment before this Court, reflect a manipulation of the case ..."

The racketeering charges would slow down their murder case, government prosecutors said.

Wolf is also expected to consider who should pick up Bulger's legal tab and how leaks from federal agents in the case can be stopped.

Bulger's attorneys have argued that the leaks about the case endanger the former fugitive's right to a fair trial on murder charges.

"If it is now possible -- and Mr. Bulger seriously questions whether it will be possible -- for Mr. Bulger to receive a fair trial, law enforcement leaks of non-public information must end, with disclosures of information limited to the judicial process," Krupp wrote.

Prosecutors say the 81-year-old Bulger was the boss of South Boston's Irish mob before he fled an impending racketeering indictment in 1995. At the same time, he was an FBI informant whose handler tipped him off about the charges -- a tale that became the basis for the Oscar-winning crime drama "The Departed."

Bulger was arrested last week in California, along with his longtime girlfriend, 60-year-old Catherine Elizabeth Greig. She has been charged with harboring a fugitive.

He has asked for a public defender, but prosecutors -- who said FBI agents seized more than $822,000 in cash from Bulger's Santa Monica apartment -- say he should pick up his own legal tab.

"He has every incentive to lie and stick the taxpayers with the bill for his defense," prosecutors wrote in court papers filed Tuesday. They said Bulger has admitted to stashing more money away with "people he trusted" but would not name, and suggested that Bulger's brother William could pay for a lawyer.

William Bulger is a former president of the University of Massachusetts and a state Senate leader. He was forced to step down from his university job after then-Gov. Mitt Romney, now a Republican presidential candidate, accused him of being evasive during congressional testimony about "Whitey's" whereabouts.

Prosecutors asked Wolf to require both William Bulger and a third Bulger brother, John Bulger, to submit affidavits before a decision is made.

Whitey Bulger also asked the judge to order federal agents to turn over notes of their interviews with him following his capture, arguing the documents are needed to defend himself against charges that he has hidden assets and will assist his defense.

Bulger lived "a relatively comfortable lifestyle" for the 16 years he was a fugitive, taking numerous gambling trips to Las Vegas, according to a government document filed in his case. Prosecutors say Bulger waived his Miranda rights after his arrest and told agents who were taking him back to Boston that he had been "a frequent traveler as a fugitive," according to the government.

"Bulger acknowledged visiting Las Vegas on numerous occasions to play the slots and claimed he won more than he lost," the filing said. "Bulger also admitted traveling to San Diego and then crossing over into Tijuana to purchase medicines."

Bulger also told the feds that he traveled back to Boston "on several occasions while 'armed to the teeth' because he 'had to take care of some unfinished business,'" the document said. Bulger refused to tell the agents any details of his Boston visits, it said.

CNN's Sheila Steffen and Jason Kessler contributed to this report.

CNN

Supporters of New York Public Library fight budget cuts

Saturday's human chain at the 42nd Street branch was part of a nationwide campaign against funding cuts for public libraries.Librarians join public in massive "hug" around 42nd Street branchLibraries that serve Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island face $40 million in proposed cutsFree public access to internet among benefits cited by library advocatesCuts in funding and staffing widespread nationally, according to a survey

New York (CNN) -- A group of supporters encircled the New York Public Library's 42nd Street branch in Manhattan arm-in-arm Saturday to show their love.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed budget cuts $40 million from the branches in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island. Queens and Brooklyn library branches have their own separate budget and are facing their own reductions.

Hug the Library was part of the savenyclibraries.org campaign organized by the advocacy group Urban Librarians Unite in response to nationwide cuts to public libraries.

"We chose the Schwarzman building for its iconic status, but we feel that the most important library in America is the one that is in every community," said ULU representative Christian Zabriskie in a statement.

The continuous human chain also symbolized a human shield to protect the library from the most significant decrease of weekly access, books on the shelf and staff in its 100-year history.

"We have three weeks to save the library. This is a clarion call to librarians all over the country to embolden people to speak up to their council members and mayors to save our libraries," said City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer of Queens.

Libraries across the country have been facing budget cuts. In a Library Journal 2010 budget survey, 72% of responding libraries reported budget cuts and 43% reported staff cuts.

"When the economy declines, people come to the library for help with finding jobs. We've helped tens of thousands reposition themselves to find jobs ever since the economy tanked," said NYPL President Paul LeClerc. "One of the most important things that libraries do across America is to let people be online for free."

According to a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation study, two-thirds (67%) of U.S. public libraries are the only provider of free public access to computers and the Internet in their community.

A library advocacy flier quoted Pedro Munoz, a junior high school dropout and recovering addict, as saying the library "has saved my life. Without it I would still be out there on the street." According to the flier, he is learning to read and write in free adult literacy classes at the Tompkins Square Library in Manhattan.

"The public values the free books, music, DVDs and e-books that libraries provide. The institution of the library exists as a cultural storehouse, a common space and a center of learning, self-improvement and entertainment in the community," ULU Communications Director Lauren Comito said in a statement.

New York's City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg will negotiate a budget in a few weeks.

CNN

Egyptian court orders Mubarak's name, image removed from public places

A Cairo court today ordered the removal of all pictures of ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his wife from Egypt's streets, squares and public institutions.

Judge Mohammed Hassan Omar said the images would be taken down from "public squares, streets, libraries and other public institutions around the country," the official MENA agency reports.

According to the court ruling, Al Ahram online says, the Egyptian people "are now aware of Mubarak's corruption, making it important to rid the country of the image of control of his 30-year rule."

Mubarak, 82, stepped down from office in February amid a popular uprising and mass demonstrations.

He was recently hospitalized in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, where he is being held under house arrest. He suffered heart problems while being questioned about corruption allegations and his role in violence against protesters during the popular protests.

His two sons, Alaa and Gamal, are also in prison pending investigations into similar allegations, Al-Arabiya reports.

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Arizona Gov. Brewer Vetoes Bill to Allow Guns on Public College Campuses

AP

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, seen in this 2010 file photo, has vetoed a bill that would have allowed guns on public college campuses.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill Monday that would have allowed guns on parts of public college campuses, a bill that she said was "poorly written" and likely faced a legal challenge.

Gun laws must be "crystal clear so that gun owners don't become lawbreakers by accident," Brewer said, referring to what she said was the bill's inadequate definition of the "public right of way" where guns could be carried on public university and community college campuses.

She also warned that the bill could have mistakenly included K-12 schools, "where federal and state laws generally prohibit weapons."

"While I support thoughtful expansion of where firearms should be allowed, the actual legislation that does so must be unambiguous and clear to protect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. Senate Bill 1467 is neither," she said.

Gun-rights advocates had backed the bill, saying it would help people defend themselves and prevent them from getting in trouble for merely driving through a campus with a gun in a vehicle.

University presidents opposed the bill. They said allowing guns on campuses would endanger employees, students and visitors, and it would be difficult for officers responding to a shooting to quickly identify a wrongdoer.

The bill originally would have applied to campus buildings, including classrooms, by allowing people with concealed weapons permits to carry guns into the facilities.

But it was scaled back during Senate consideration to apply only to rights of way, such as sidewalks. References to concealed weapons also were removed.

Supporters said they needed to change the bill to only apply to rights of way because the original, broader measure lacked enough support in the House.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence opposed the latest version and sought a veto, even though it said the bill was gutted by the Senate.

Texas legislation similar to the original Arizona bill is stalled in that state, with opposition preventing it from coming to a Senate vote.

Brewer must act by midnight Thursday on another Arizona guns-rights measure that would allow weapons in some government buildings that don't have airport-style security with armed guards and metal detectors.

That bill would not override a separate state law that bars guns in K-12 schools, and it would not disturb a law that gives higher education officials the authority to ban guns.

Also, the legislation would not clear the way for guns to be carried in public-owned convention centers, sports arenas, courthouses, prosecutors' offices and police facilities.

Since becoming governor in January 2009, Brewer has signed several major guns-rights bills. Those included one to allow carrying a concealed weapon without having a state-issued permit, and another to allow carrying a concealed weapon into a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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