Commonwealth v. Andrade (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-113-14)
Court affirms first-degree murder conviction based on circumstantial evidence, upholding jury selection questions about eyewitness testimony and prosecutor's closing arguments.
Commonwealth
Commonwealth v. Higgins (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-073-14)
Conviction for carrying a dangerous weapon reversed where evidence failed to prove the folding knife possessed statutory prohibited features.
Commonwealth v. Gelfgatt (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-112-14)
Court holds compelled decryption of seized computers does not violate Fifth Amendment where government already knew defendant owned devices, they were encrypted, and he could decrypt them.
Commonwealth v. Bigley (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-071-14)
Intoxicated defendant's Miranda waiver valid despite emotional distress where police gave proper warnings, defendant understood rights, provided coherent statements, and made rational choices.
Commonwealth v. White (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-070-14)
Courtroom closure during general jury questioning violated defendant's Sixth Amendment right to public trial despite brief duration; not de minimis.
Commonwealth v. Harris (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-109-14)
First-degree murder conviction affirmed. Defendant's statements to police were voluntary despite his youth and emotional fragility. Prosecution's expert rebuttal testimony on mental state was admissible.
Commonwealth v. Mitchell (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-108-14)
Recorded call lawful under one-party consent exception when officers instructed witness to elicit murder information, regardless whether witness actually attempted to do so.
Commonwealth v. Copney (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-107-14)
Defendant staying in dormitory room without permission had no reasonable expectation of privacy; warrantless police entry justified by emergency aid exception.
Raffaele v. Commonwealth (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-105-14)
Pro se petitioner's G.L. c. 211, § 3 petition for relief from guilty plea properly denied; plea challenges belong in criminal procedure, not superintendence jurisdiction.
Commonwealth v. Caswell (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-066-14)
Murder in the second degree conviction on joint venture theory affirmed despite trial errors including improper closing argument language and flawed jury instruction regarding unrecorded police interrogation.