Victims' Relatives to Speak at Bulger Sentencing

UPDATE: Judge WILL ALLOW prosecution request to let relatives of victims the jury found "not proved" to speak.

(NECN: Justin Michaels, Boston) – Wednesday is day one of the two-day sentencing of James ‘Whitey’ Bulger.

For the families of the victims and the alleged victims, this day is something they have been waiting, in some cases, decades for. Although the death penalty is not on the table, life in prison is.

James "Whitey" Bulger has been convicted of 31 out of 32 counts and found guilty of 11 of 19 murders.

Relatives of the other eight murder victims want a chance to deliver victim-impact statements before Bulger's sentencing. Prosecutors have asked the judge to let all families speak, even those who did not get a conviction.

People like Steve Davis, whose sister, Debra Davis, the late girlfriend of Steven ‘the Rifle man’ Flemmi, an associate of James Bulger, was a huge part of this trial. But in the end, Bulger was not found guilty of involvement in her death.

Davis, appearing on NECN, said he just wants answers.

The defense has objected to any family of people who were not proven to be victims in Bulger's trial to speak in court, and so have some of the jurors who say it would undermine their work during this trial.

So far there has been no ruling from the court on whether families of unproven victims will be allowed to speak.

Bulger has the potential to be sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison plus five years.

Sentencing is set to begin Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock at Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston.

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