Commonwealth v. Blanchard

After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of murder in the second degree and carrying a firearm without a license. On appeal, Defendant argued, in part, that the trial judge erred in denying his motion for a mistrial on the ground that, during the jury’s deliberations, the jurors were exposed to extraneous materials and materials that had been excluded as evidence at trial. The Appeals Court rejected Defendant’s claims of error and affirmed the convictions. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, holding that the trial judge did not abuse her discretion in declining to declare a mistrial as a result of the jury’s exposure to the materials at issue during deliberations and in handling the circumstance as she did. View "Commonwealth v. Blanchard" on Justia Law