The Boston federal judge in the James “Whitey” Bulger case has been removed.
CNN reports that the First Circuit Court of Appeals made the ruling after the defense raised concerns that U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns might not be able to be impartial.
Stearns was a federal prosecutor at the time that Bulger was a big-time gangster in Boston.
“Despite our respect for Judge Stearns and our belief in his sincerity, we are nonetheless bound to conclude that it is clear that a reasonable person might question the judge’s ability to preserve impartiality through the course of this prosecution,” the appeals court ruled.
