Bulger juror describes 'stressful' deliberations

BOSTON (AP) — Emotions ran high as the jury in the federal racketeering trial of Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger deliberated, according to one juror, who described doors being slammed and jurors walking out of the room.

“It was insane. There was all kinds of dissension,” Scott Hotyckey, 47, of Framingham, told WBZ-TV. He described himself as a laid off biotech worker and said he had little knowledge about the case before being selected as a juror.

“It was heated,” Hotyckey said. “People slamming doors. People leaving. People wanting to get off the jury.”

The jury deliberated for more than 32 hours over five days before finding Bulger guilty Monday of all but one of the 33 counts he faced, including multiple murders.

It was a clear-cut case, according to Hotyckey. Based on the testimony, he thought the 83-year Bulger was guilty on all counts. But some jurors disagreed.

Some questioned the credibility of witnesses, especially former Bulger associate and admitted hit man John Martarano. Some thought the federal government was just as responsible for the murders for using Bulger as an FBI informant.

At least two jurors feared retaliation from Bulger associates, Hotyckey said.

He said he would have liked to see Bulger himself take the stand to hear what he called “excuses.”

In the end, the jury weighed every charge carefully before coming to a decision, Hotyckey said.

And despite the tension and disagreements, he considers his fellow jurors his friends. The entire jury except for one member went out to dinner together after the verdict.