Commonwealth v. Goddard

After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree on the theory of deliberate premeditation. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant’s convictions and declined to grant relief under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 278, 33E, holding (1) the trial judge did not err by permitting the Commonwealth’s expert witness to opine that Defendant’s behavior was planned and goal-directed; (2) the trial judge did not erroneously permit the same expert to state the bases of her opinion on direct examination; and (3) the prosecutor did not make statements not supported by the evidence during closing arguments. View "Commonwealth v. Goddard" on Justia Law