Commonwealth v. Domino

by
Defendant was a sex offender subject to the requirements of the Sex offender Registration and Community Notification Act. Following his release in prison, Defendant pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, 178H(a). The district judge imposed a fine and imposed community parole supervision for life (CPSL). Defendant moved to vacate the imposition of CPSL and to withdraw his pleas. The judge denied Defendant's motions. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) chapter 6, section 178H(a) authorizes the imposition of CPSL where the sentence is a fine; (2) the amendment of the complaint to add Defendant's prior convictions serving as predicate offenses for the imposition of CPSL was proper; (3) Defendant received effective assistance of counsel in connection with the plea process; (4) the district court judge correctly found Defendant was criminally liable for failing to register; and (5) the district court judge did not abuse her discretion in denying Defendant's motion for a new trial on the basis of newly discovered evidence. View "Commonwealth v. Domino" on Justia Law