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Commonwealth v. RichardsonCommonwealth v. Richardson

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Oct 30, 1968
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The defendant was convicted of armed robbery. His bill of exceptions fails to show error. He contends ‍‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍that the judge erred when, charging on the issue of alibi, he read from Chief Justice Shaw’s opinion in Commonwealth v. Webster, 5 Cush. 295, 319 (1850), and described him as “one of the great chief justices ‍‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍of the Supreme Court of this Commonwealth.” Only this fragment of the charge, lifted from the context, is included in the bill of exceptions. The impression created by the charge as a whole is ‍‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍the test. Commonwealth v. Aronson, 330 Mass. 453, 457. Commonwealth v. Greenberg, 339 Mass. 557, 585. Commonwealth v. Sullivan, ante, 598, 607. There was no error in denying the defendant’s motion to poll the jury. Commonwealth v. Roby, 12 Pick. 496, 512-515. Commonwealth v. Costley, 118 Mass. 1, 28. Commonwealth v. Goldenberg, 338 Mass. 377, ‍‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍386. He does not argue that he had an absolute right, but merely that it was a matter of discretion. In order to show error, he relies upon numerous alleged facts which are ‍‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍not in the record and which we, therefore, cannot consider. There was no abuse of discretion.

Exceptions overruled.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Richardson
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Oct 30, 1968
Citations: 241 N.E.2d 924; 354 Mass. 773; 1968 Mass. LEXIS 969
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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