Commonwealth v. Pariseau

Defendant was incarcerated for rape of a child when the Commonwealth filed a petition to have him declared a sexually dangerous person (SDP). Several months after the conclusion of a jury-waived trial, a superior court judge issued a decision concluding that Defendant was an SDP and ordering him committed to a treatment center. Defendant appealed, arguing, among other things, that the trial judge erred in failing to issue a decision within thirty days of the end of trial in accordance with Commonwealth v. Blake. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that although the trial judge’s decision was not issued within thirty days as required by Blake, neither dismissal of the Commonwealth’s petition nor a new trial was warranted under the circumstances. View "Commonwealth v. Pariseau" on Justia Law