The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court yesterday ruled the Commonwealth was permitted to use a defendant's statement to a police officer against him at trial, even though the defendant had been under arrest and in the custody of the Cambridge Police Department for more than six hours at the time of his statement.  The case...

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today agreed a superior court judge had properly suppressed the out-of-court identification of the defendant as unduly suggestive, even where the police were not involved in the identification procedure.  The name of the case is Commonwealth v. Johnson.  (more…)

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court this week affirmed the murder conviction of a man who killed his one-time girlfriend in Fitchburg in 1974, but who was not indicted until 2006 (and not convicted until 2012).  The name of the case is Commonwealth v. Dame.  (more…)

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court yesterday ruled that a trial court judge has the authority to revoke a defendant's personal recognizance and lock him up even if the defendant had already defaulted and was no longer "on release" as required by the statute.  The name of the case is Commonwealth v. Morales. (more…)

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today ruled a district court judge violated the Rules of Criminal Procedure by imposing a "Commonwealth-capped" plea on a defendant.  The name of the case is Charbonneau v. Presiding Justice of the Holyoke Division of the District Court Department. (more…)