Long Series of Trials Could Prove to Be Mobster's Death Sentence.

James (Whitey) Bulger's long flight back from Los Angeles to Boston on Friday was only the beginning of a much longer journey, a legal odyssey that is likely to keep him in court for years. Unless Mr. Bulger, who is 81, bypasses the long court process with plea deals, the trials themselves could be a death sentence. When Mr. Bulger dropped out of sight in 1995, he became one of the nation's most notorious fugitives, under indictment for racketeering in connection with accusations of extortion, money laundering and 19 killings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]