Commonwealth v. Adams
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The Supreme Judicial Court held that interference with the lawful duties of a police officer is a common-law crime in Massachusetts but that the evidence was not sufficient in this case to establish that Defendant committed the crime of interference with a police officer.
A jury convicted Defendant of interference with a police officer. At issue on appeal was whether the crime of which Defendant was convicted is recognized under Massachusetts common law. After examining Nineteenth Century jurisprudence, as well as other authoritative sources, the Supreme Judicial Court held that interference with the lawful duties of a police officer was, and continues to be, a common-law crime subject to carefully constructed limitations to avoid criminalizing constitutionally protected activities. The Court, however, vacated Defendant's conviction, holding that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the conviction of interference with a police officer.
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