Bulger Pleads Not Guilty to 19 Murder Charges

James "Whitey" Bulger pleaded not guilty to 32 charges, including 19 counts of murder, during his Wednesday afternoon arraignment in U.S. District Court.

The case of the 81-year-old alleged mobster will continue in the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse on Sept. 14 for a status conference. It is expected that the trial will last about four weeks, with between 30 to 40 witnesses called.

Federal prosecutors , which included multiple counts of extortion, racketeering and threats, to focus on the murder charge that could put him away for life if convicted. 

Bulger's lawyer will also be paid for by U.S. taxpayers. J.W. Carney of Carney and Bassil was the alleged crime boss after Bulger said he couldn't afford his own attorney because authorities seized all his money. Law enforcement officials impounded more than $800,000 in cash from his Santa Monica apartment when .

On Tuesday, Carney also filed a request asking that his partner Janice Bassil be added as a co-counsel in the defense. Judge Marianne Bowler said last week that she would consider adding another attorney due to the complexities of the high-profile case and the paperwork involved.

Bulger and his longtime companion, Catherine Greig—who was charged with harboring a fugitive—were apprehended after living in hiding for 16 years. The alleged mobster, former head of Boston's notorious Winter Hill Gang and FBI informant from South Boston disappeared in the mid-1990s and became one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives.

His corrupt relationship with FBI agents proved to be an embarrassment to the agency, and he fled when an agent leaked to him word of an impending indictment. When Bulger was caught, the FBI was offering a $2 million reward for information that led to his capture.

More on the Bulger arrest:

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• Santa Monica Police Not Surprised James 'Whitey' Bulger Went 'Unnoticed'

• James 'Whitey' Bulger's Girlfriend Told Neighbor He Had 'A Mental Problem'

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• Bulger Lived in Santa Monica for 15 Years, Paid Rent in Cash: Report

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• Question of the Week—James 'Whitey' Bulger in Santa Monica: Have You Seen This Man Before?