BOSTON - Defense attorneys for James "Whitey" Bulger are seeking to have the jury in his racketeering trial sequestered when they begin deliberating.

The Boston Globe reports a motion was filed late Sunday, a day before the defense begins presenting witnesses in federal court.

The newspaper says the five-page motion cites several Globe columns about Bulger and the witnesses who've testified against him as examples of the "extremely prejudicial" way the media has written about Bulger.

The lawyers urge Judge Denise Casper to keep jurors sequestered and away from media coverage once they begin deliberations.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's office has not filed a response to the request.

Bulger is charged with playing a role in 19 killings during the 1970s and '80s when authorities say he ran the Winter Hill Gang.