Catherine Greig’s bail hearing, day 2
Today was the second day of Catherine Greig‘s probable cause and detention hearing. Greig stands accused in federal court of harboring a fugitive, her boyfriend James “Whitey” Bulger.
I watched the 10:30 hearing again from an “overflow” courtroom via live video. Greig wore the same navy blue jail shirt and pants as yesterday, and spent the day intently listening and occasionally rifling through papers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Pirozzolo started off the proceedings with a bang, announcing that Kevin Weeks – Bulger’s main henchman and executioner turned informant- had been subpoenaed.
First, however, FBI Agent Michael Carazza, the witness from yesterday, took the stand again. He described the Santa Monica, CA apartment that Bulger and Greig were living in when they were arrested a few weeks ago. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and holes in the walls containing $800,000 in cash and 30 guns. According to their landlord, “on almost every occasion the rent was paid (in cash) by Catherine Greig.” Additionally, said Carazza, “there were periods of time when she did not notice them.” Greig’s hairdresser “had trouble finding good boyfriends…she tended to interest and attract the wrong guys,” and when talking to her about this, Greig replied that “she liked bad boys…she knew that her husband was a bad boy when they married but he’s over that now.” Some other details that surfaced: Greig and Bulger subscribed to the L.A. Times, and found in their apartment were clippings from that newspaper about their case, as well as a book called “Fake ID Construction Techniques of the Underground.”
Greig’s lawyer, the very well-known and successful Kevin Reddington, cross-examined Carazza. He emphasized Bulger’s good reputation, asking if he “was keeping the drugs out of the city of Boston, off the streets of South Boston…helping the old ladies.” Carazza replied, “I’ve heard a lot worse, actually.” As for Greig, he admitted, “It’s fair to say she was well-liked…she had an interest in animals and I believe she had befriended some people who had pets, dogs, cats.” Looking at what is called a 302 report made by investigators, Carazza verified that “Ms. Greig was very subservient to Mr. Bulger, and Mr. Bulger was strict and obviously in charge” and that Greig was “pleasant…very nice things to say about them as far as being a neighbor.” Although Greig is known to have had plastic surgery, Carazza admitted that he did not know of any surgeries that she had while on the lam. She was “courteous, cooperative” when arrested, and Bulger even volunteered to take the arresting agents to his place and show them around because “he didn’t want them to trash his apartment.” There was no evidence that Greig knew about the guns (which were hidden in Bulger’s bedroom), but it is unclear whether she was aware of the cash.
After a five-minute break, Weeks took the stand. He was a heavy-set, middle-aged man with curly black hair and sporting a black shirt and white vest. He was called by the defense, and under direct examination by Reddington, he agreed that Bulger “had a reputation of somewhat mythic proportions,” was considered a “Robin Hood type,” bought people turkeys, helped people get jobs, and was generally well-regarded in the community. “He had several reputations,” Weeks said, adding that “he was generous with people.”
During cross-examination by Pirozzolo, Weeks clarified, “He had a reputation among the average people of South Boston as a good guy. Criminals…had a different outlook.” As close associates of Bulger, he and Greig saw “a different side.” The night that Weeks dropped Greig off to go on the lam with Bulger, “she smiled when she saw him…he came walking out of the dark and hugged her…she appeared nervous.” She never expressed reluctance to go with him, Weeks said. He then described how he drove out to Chicago, one of Bulger and Greig’s many on-the-run homes, to give them fake IDs. One had a picture of Bulger’s brother, Jackie, with a fake mustache, but Bulger made Weeks take a new photo of him because “the mustache that Jackie had on was too big.” Greig was present for all of this. Finally, Weeks agreed with Pirozzolo that Greig was “intelligent.” When asked if she was strong-willed, he replied, “She’s a strong person, she’s a caring, compassionate person.”
Next the court, presided over by Magistrate Judge Jennifer Boal, had to address the issue of victim impact statements. Although federal law gives crime victims the right to be heard at any stage of a case involving potential release, they are rarely invited to speak at detention hearings. Boal ruled that four family members of Bulger’s alleged victims would be allowed to briefly speak, but she reserved decision on whether they actually quality as victims in this case, where the defendant is not Bulger but Greig.
During a short, emotional statement, Timothy Carr said, “It’s an injustice to the victim’s family if Ms. Greig is given the gift of bail,” and that those who have called her kind are “guilty of perjury…it’s obvious we can’t trust what neighbors and friends say because neighbors of her are neighbors of Whitey.”
Steven Davis, who lost his sister, Debra, said that Greig “does not deserve the freedom of being with her sister” and that “family members of the victims deserve some kind of justice.” He continued, “She, in my eyes, in my family, is an evil woman. She does not deserve the freedom she is searching for.”
Christopher McIntyre told the court that his 84-year-old mother lived 100 yards from the home of Greig’s sister, Margaret McCusker, in the Squantum neighborhood of Quincy, where she wants to stay while out on bail. “This will cause emotional grief for my mother…I think that in itself should deny this…Squantum, she can’t bail to Squantum.”
Finally, the angriest statement came from Tommy Donahue, whose father was killed allegedly at Bulger’s hands. “I know Whitey Bulger was Cathering Greig’s longtime companion…She walked the streets of Santa Monica and the streets of Dublin with him,” he said while fighting back tears. “If they had not been caught on June 22, Ms. Greig would still be caring for my father’s murderer.” He accused her of “spending the blood money Bulger took from his victims to dye her hair.” Continuing, he said, “The 16 years with her lover on the run were the 16 years we cried…without her, he would have been caught a long time ago.” He even took a shot at law enforcement, referring to “a government that refuses to acknowledge us as victims.” Finally he concluded, “Setting Ms. Greig free under any circumstances would be unjust and unbearable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Herbert gave the government’s closing argument. “The defendant learned the tricks of the fugitive trade from a top 10 fugitive wanted in 19 murders…she knows how to be a fugitive in her own right.” He called her a “willing, active participant” and indicated that she could be charged with additional offenses, including conspiracy or creating false identification. Therefore, Greig has an inventive to flee, and because she could be subpoenaed to testify against Bulger, he has an incentive to have her flee as well. She is still “very much aligned with Mr. Bulger,” Herbert said. He described their 16 years on the lam as “exceptionally well-planned,” hinted that they probably had more money than the $800,000 in the apartment, and said that Greig had no ties to her community that she was not willing to break. The government’s case that it will present at trial, he concluded, is very strong.
In his closing argument, defense lawyer Reddington described Greig as a nonviolent woman who just happened to be in love with the wrong person. Her sister, he said, is “her backbone, her bedrock…they have an awful lot of catching up to do.” Bulger, he said, was the one in charge in their relationship: “He would clap his hands and she would jump…She has nothing to do with any of these murders.” Instead of communicating with Bulger, “she has nothing to do but be with what’s left of her family.” Reddington praised Greig’s character, saying “There’s not a person in Santa Monica who doesn’t have extreme love and respect for this woman.” He called the possibility of additional charges ridiculous because Greig did not make any money off of the fake IDs, an essential element of the crime. “Her only crime was a crime of passion – of falling in love with this gentleman and living with him all these years…She’s just a simple woman who wants to be with her sister.”
The hearing ended with Judge Boal entering a voluntary order of detention without prejudice, meaning that Greig will remain in jail until the logistical details of her bail application are finalized. Then Judge Boal will decide whether she gets bail or not. Greig stood and nodded, accepting the order. In addition to the bail determination, Judge Boal also has yet to officially decide whether probable cause even exists to try Greig.