Affirmed. Defendant's statements to police and his mother were voluntary despite prolonged questioning. Courtroom closure during jury selection violated the Sixth Amendment but did not warrant relief for ineffective assistance.
Defendant convicted of cocaine trafficking based on drug certificates signed by chemist later found to have engaged in systematic fraud. Court extends conclusive presumption of egregious misconduct from guilty plea cases to trial convictions, vacates conviction.
Court affirmed conviction of child sexual abuse where circumstantial evidence of identity, computer evidence, and victim testimony were sufficient despite defendant's exclusion of psychological profile testimony.
Defendant convicted of animal cruelty after shooting neighbor's dog with pellet gun. Appeals Court affirmed, holding that unnecessary pain inflicted through intentional acts constitutes cruelty regardless of defendant's stated purpose.
Parental privilege defense fails where repeated forceful strikes to a child were unreasonable and not for safeguarding welfare.
Murder conviction affirmed where defendant stabbed his wife thirteen times upon learning he was not the biological father of her newborn child. Court upholds autopsy photographs, statements, and jury instructions.
Vacated forfeiture of right to counsel at probation revocation hearing where defendant's conduct did not involve threats of violence and procedural protections for hearing were inadequate.
Defendant convicted of child abuse based on shaken baby syndrome diagnosis reversed where trial counsel failed to retain expert to testify that accidental short falls could cause severe head injuries.
Expert testimony regarding drug distribution intent does not require trial objection when pretrial motion in limine objection was only to expert qualification, not substance.
Defendant's failure to move to strike substitute analyst's improper weight testimony, though he opposed the analyst's testimony via motion in limine, did not preserve appellate rights. Affirmed.
