Commonwealth v. Dustin (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-182-16)
Assault and battery on family or household member; sufficiency of evidence of substantive dating relationship under statute.
SJC Opinions
George v. George (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-181-16)
Divorce modification under the Alimony Reform Act; when judges may deviate from statutory durational limits for alimony payments predating the act.
DeGiacomo v. City of Quincy, et al. (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-179-16)
Successor trustee barred by issue preclusion from rescinding 1972 lease of charitable trust property; Attorney General adequately represented income beneficiary's interests in prior equity proceeding.
Tavares v. Commonwealth (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-178-16)
Defendant challenged multiple bail orders as impermissible double or triple bail. Court affirmed denial of relief but allowed recovery of forfeited bail through Superior Court motion.
Commonwealth v. Bois (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-177-16)
Murder conviction affirmed despite inadequate presentation of insanity defense and improper prosecutorial argument; armed home invasion conviction vacated for insufficient evidence.
Commonwealth v. Sylvester (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-176-16)
Defendant's guilty plea to indecent assault and battery need not be withdrawn based on counsel's failure to explain sex offender registration consequences as they existed in 2002.
Commonwealth v. Griffin (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-175-16)
Murder conviction affirmed where defendant methodically planned killing and acted from rational motive despite claiming mental illness and divine command.
Massachusetts Insurers Insolvency Fund v. Berkshire Bank (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-174-16)
Fund may recover workers' compensation benefits from high net worth insured employers, reversing Superior Court decision that statutory language precluded recovery.
In the Matter of Diviacchi (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-172-16)
Attorney suspended twenty-seven months for failing to explain contingent fee modifications, refusing to pursue client's stated objectives, and making false sworn statements in court proceedings.
Verizon New England Inc. v. Board of Assessors of Boston (and a consolidated case) (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-173-16)
Split tax rate structure treating personal property same as commercial and industrial real property does not violate constitutional proportionality requirement.