Commonwealth v. Steadman
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The Supreme Judicial Court reversed in part the denial of Defendant's motions for postconviction relief and otherwise affirmed Defendant's conviction of murder in the first degree based on both deliberate premeditation and extreme atrocity or cruelty and two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, holding that the trial court erred in part.
Here, Defendant appealed from his convictions and from the denial of two postconviction motions. One of those motions requested forensic testing pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 278A and the other requesting an advance of expert fees. The Supreme Judicial Court reversed in part, holding (1) as to Defendant's direct appeal there was no reversible error; (2) there was no reason to grant relief under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 278, 33E; (3) the trial court properly denied Defendant's motion for expert fees because it was premature; but (4) Defendant's motion requesting forensic analysis met the threshold requirements of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 278A, 3, and therefore, the trial court erred in dismissing the motion.
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