State v. Black
Annotate this CaseAfter a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of attempted murder and related crimes. Before trial, Defendant moved for a change of venue on the ground that the pretrial publicity surrounding the case was so prejudicial that selecting the jury would be “an exercise in futility.” The court deferred ruling on the motion before the jury was impaneled. The jury was subsequently impaneled, and Defendant did not renew his motion for change of venue at any point in the proceedings. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, holding (1) the superior court did not err by declining to change the trial venue based on pretrial publicity, as there was no basis for the court to find that Defendant could not receive a fair trial in that venue; and (2) the evidence was sufficient to support the convictions.
Court Description: Errata. Corrected February 2, 2016 (Errata Sheet)
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