Commonwealth v. Reade (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-185-14)
Appeal dismissed for failure to timely file notice of appeal to SJC within seven days of single justice judgment denying petition for appointed counsel.
SJC Opinions
Commonwealth v. Thompson (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-184-14)
Drug distribution conviction upheld; school zone statute amendment does not apply retroactively to convictions entered before effective date.
Doe, Sex Offender Registry Board No. 68549 v. Sex Offender Registry Board (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-183-14)
Sex offender classification as level one affirmed where hearing examiner considered adolescent offender's youth, two decades without reoffending, and success in education and work.
Commonwealth v. Roman (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-182-14)
Affirmed murder conviction based on sufficient circumstantial and forensic evidence, security video corroboration, and proper jury instructions on cooperating witnesses despite alleged jury tampering.
Bellerman, et al. v. Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-180-14)
Class certification denied where causation of injury required individualized proof despite company's established systemic failures during ice storm.
Commonwealth v. Rollins (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-181-14)
Possession of child pornography from a single cache at one time constitutes a single unit of prosecution. Multiple convictions for such possession violate double jeopardy; trial errors warrant reversal.
Commonwealth v. Garcia (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-179-14)
Murder conviction affirmed where defendant participated in armed robbery that resulted in shooting victim who was then brutally attacked while bleeding heavily.
Bank of America, N.A., et al. v. Babcock, et al. (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-176-14)
Trustees sought declaratory judgment that trust document expressed settlor's tax intent or reformation to clarify meaning. Court dismissed where no mistake, uncertainty, or actual tax authority dispute existed.
Commonwealth v. Carriere (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-177-14)
Murder conviction affirmed where defendant hired others to kill his wife; hearsay statements by coconspirators admissible under joint venture exception.
O’Connell, et al. v. Houser, et al. (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-178-14)
Trustees sought reformation of a family trust to correct a drafting error omitting "by blood" from the termination provision. Court reformed the trust based on clear proof the omission frustrated the settlor's tax and estate planning objectives.