Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Decisions 2024

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff filed a complaint in the Land Court regarding a property in Duxbury, claiming ownership following a foreclosure sale. The defendants, who had executed a mortgage in favor of the plaintiff's predecessor,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2013, an eleven-year-old juvenile was charged with rape of a child by force and assault and battery on a child with substantial injury after allegedly biting his four-year-old cousin's penis. The rape charge was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Tyrone Strong, and three accomplices planned to rob a known drug dealer, Christian Perez, at gunpoint. During the robbery in Fitchburg, Perez was fatally shot. Two accomplices were acquitted in separate…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2018, the victim ended a five-year relationship with the defendant, who continued to send her text messages and occasionally parked near her home despite her efforts to avoid him. Two years later, the defendant sent…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1999, the defendant admitted to sufficient facts to support a finding of guilty for distributing a class A substance. He later sought to withdraw this admission, claiming his plea counsel failed to inform him that it…

Justia Opinion Summary: An undercover police officer, without a warrant, used his cell phone to make audio-visual recordings while purchasing drugs from the defendant. These recordings captured both the audio of their conversations and video…

Justia Opinion Summary: A juvenile was seen masturbating in a parked car and was charged with open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, a felony. At trial, the jury was also instructed on the lesser included offense of indecent exposure,…

Justia Opinion Summary: On August 14, 2018, Yashua Amado, Darrell Smith, and Jerome Smith were shot while sitting in Amado's car on Deering Road in Mattapan. Amado was killed, and Darrell and Jerome sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the interpretation of a statutory provision requiring the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) to provide immediate temporary emergency shelter to families who appear…

Justia Opinion Summary: On August 14, 2018, Yashua Amado, Darrell Smith, and Jerome Smith were shot while sitting in Amado's car on Deering Road in Mattapan. Amado was killed, and Darrell and Jerome sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: A clerk-magistrate decided to allow public access to show cause hearings for individuals accused of being clients of a prostitution ring but denied media requests for the underlying complaint applications before the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Bruce Johnson and Caroline Settino were engaged to be married, with Johnson giving Settino a $70,000 diamond engagement ring and two wedding bands. Johnson also paid for various expenses, including part of Settino's…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Carlos Colina, killed Jonathan Camilien in his Cambridge apartment by strangling him in a chokehold and subsequently dismembered the body. The dismembered torso was found in a duffel bag on a nearby…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the interpretation of the Massachusetts Principal and Income Act (MPIA) in relation to trusts established under the will of Helyn W. Kline. Kline's will created separate trusts for her daughters,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Kathleen Vita, alleged that New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc. (BIDMC) violated the Massachusetts wiretap act by collecting and transmitting her browsing…

Justia Opinion Summary: On the night of July 1, 2015, the defendant and his accomplice attempted to rob three women working as escorts at different hotels. The first woman denied them entry, the second was robbed at gunpoint, and the third was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Roberto Cruz, who was convicted of two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of fourteen. The incidents occurred when Cruz, nearly sixty years old, hugged and kissed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a probationer who was arrested during a traffic stop and subsequently charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm. During the traffic stop, a state…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant is alleged to have raped eight women by luring heavily intoxicated women into his vehicle under the guise of being a rideshare operator, then raping them after they passed out, often recording the assaults.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was involved in a kidnapping scheme orchestrated by James Feeney, who sought revenge against the victim, James Robertson, due to a romantic rivalry. Feeney enlisted the help of his cousin Alfred Ricci and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of sexual offenses against two minor girls, Kathy and Denise, who lived with him at the time of the alleged abuse. Kathy testified that the defendant touched her inappropriately on multiple…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder on a felony-murder theory, with armed robbery as the predicate offense. The victim, who sold drugs from her apartment, was found stabbed to death. The defendant, a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of sexual offenses against his granddaughter and sentenced to state prison followed by five years of supervised probation. The probation conditions included GPS monitoring and a requirement to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of uttering after cashing a forged check drawn on an account of a person who did not know her. On January 19, 2019, the defendant cashed a personal check for $3,600 at a bank, presenting her…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon after attacking two victims with a hammer. The defendant admitted to hitting the victims but claimed self-defense. During…

Justia Opinion Summary: F.A. has been involuntarily committed to state mental health facilities since 1999 after being found not guilty of a sexual offense due to mental illness. In 2020, a District Court judge renewed F.A.'s commitment and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2007, the defendant was convicted of first-degree murder on a felony-murder theory, with armed robbery as the predicate felony, and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. The incident involved the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In two separate cases, mothers petitioned the Juvenile Court to involuntarily commit their children for inpatient care due to substance use disorders under Massachusetts General Laws c. 123, § 35. E.S. was committed for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, all State troopers, filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth and the heads of the State Police and the State Board of Retirement. They claimed that the defendants' policy of denying the accrual of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a proposed electric substation in East Boston by NSTAR Electric Company, doing business as Eversource Energy. The Energy Facilities Siting Board (the board) granted a certificate of environmental impact…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Susan Hartnett, a public employee who worked for the Commonwealth from 1978 to 1990 and then rejoined public service in 2002, working for the city of Boston. Upon her return, her salary more than…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the defendant, who was indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm and related offenses after Boston police officers monitored his Snapchat account and observed him brandishing firearms in several…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves five plaintiffs who own and operate 7-Eleven convenience stores in Massachusetts. They entered into franchise agreements with 7-Eleven, Inc., which provided them with a license to use the 7-Eleven brand…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, a group of professional models, alleged that the defendant, an adult entertainment nightclub, used their images in social media posts without consent to promote the club between August 2013 and November…

Justia Opinion Summary: In December 1974, Peter Sulfaro was shot and killed during an armed robbery at his shoe repair shop. His son, Paul Sulfaro, was the only witness. Three men, including Raymond Gaines, were convicted of the crime. Decades…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the defendant, David E. Canjura, who was arrested by Boston police officers on July 3, 2020, after an altercation with his girlfriend. During a search incident to the arrest, officers found a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between the Boston Teachers Union, Local 66, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO (the union), and the School Committee of Boston (the committee). The union alleged that the committee…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder for the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, Kathryn Mauke. The defendant and the victim had dated on and off for several years, but the victim ended the relationship in…

Justia Opinion Summary: Two non-domiciliary companies, S&H Independent Premium Brands East, LLC, and S&H Independent Premium Brands West, LLC, import and distribute European alcoholic beverages in the United States. They hold certificates of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was charged with assault and battery on a family or household member and was detained pretrial. While awaiting trial, he made two recorded phone calls to his fiancée, the alleged victim, advising her not to…

Justia Opinion Summary: A juvenile was indicted as a youthful offender for unarmed carjacking, unarmed assault with intent to rob, and assault and battery on an elder. The charges stemmed from an incident where the juvenile, after escaping from…

Justia Opinion Summary: The juvenile in this case was on probation after being adjudicated as a youthful offender for breaking and entering a vehicle with intent to commit a felony. While on probation, he began experiencing severe mental health…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Jane Doe, alleged that she was sexually assaulted by court officer Jose Martinez while in custody at the Lawrence District Court in 2009 and 2014. Doe claimed that the Massachusetts Trial Court was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree, armed assault with intent to murder, and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. The charges stemmed from his role as the getaway driver after a…

Justia Opinion Summary: A severe thunderstorm caused significant damage to Norwood Hospital, owned by Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPT) and leased to Steward Health Care System LLC (Steward). The storm led to extensive flooding in the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of reckless endangerment of a child and witness intimidation after attacking her twelve-year-old son. The incident began with an argument about the son's dental braces, leading the defendant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the defendant, Maryann Russo, who was charged with animal cruelty under G. L. c. 272, § 77, for her treatment of her terminally ill fourteen-year-old cocker spaniel, Tipper. Russo brought Tipper to a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2016, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) acquired the high bid at a foreclosure sale of Anthony Michael Branch's property. Fannie Mae then initiated a summary process action in the Housing Court to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder for the stabbing death of Jordan Baskin. After his conviction, the defendant filed a motion for a new trial, claiming his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Pure Oasis LLC, which applied for a conditional use permit to operate a recreational cannabis dispensary in Boston. The building commissioner denied the permit, and Pure Oasis appealed to the Board of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In November 2004, a sixteen-year-old juvenile stalked and robbed a victim at gunpoint, repeatedly raped her in her home, and then bound, gagged, and robbed her roommate when she arrived. He was sentenced to state prison…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around the defendant, Mark O'Brien, who was convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Robert McKenna. The murder occurred during a robbery scheme where O'Brien and his two co-venturers entered…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves five ballot initiative petitions related to the classification of "app-based drivers" (drivers) as employees of delivery network companies or transportation network companies (collectively, companies).…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around the certification of Initiative Petition 23-35, "An Act Giving Transportation Network Drivers the Option to Form a Union and Bargain Collectively" by the Attorney General. The plaintiffs argued…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves two groups of plaintiffs, referred to as the Schneider plaintiffs and the Page plaintiffs, who challenged the title and one-sentence "yes/no" statements prepared by the Attorney General and the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In June 2015, Jose Lora, a member of the Kilby Street Posse (KSP), a Worcester-based gang, shot and killed David Luyando, an innocent bystander, at a cemetery. Lora was targeting Kevin Parker, a member of a rival gang,…

Justia Opinion Summary: A general contractor, Graycor Construction Company Inc., was involved in a dispute with a subcontractor, Business Interiors Floor Covering Business Trust, over unpaid invoices for flooring work performed on a movie…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the eligibility of a married individual, Costa Tingos, for Medicaid long-term care benefits. Costa and his wife, Mary, had been married for over 50 years, but had kept their finances…

Justia Opinion Summary: A group of Massachusetts registered voters challenged the Attorney General's certification of Initiative Petition 23-12, which proposed "a Law Requiring the Full Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers with Tips on Top." The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Edward A. Cianci and Raymond Frechette, who purchased a foreclosed property and initiated a summary process action in the Housing Court against the occupants, including Elizabeth D'Andrea. The Housing…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between William Good and Uber Technologies, Inc., and Rasier, LLC (collectively, Uber), and one of its drivers, Jonas Yohou. Good, a chef, used Uber's mobile application to secure a ride. On…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant, Nelson Barros, who was charged with assault and battery on a household member. Barros, a noncitizen, chose to represent himself during his arraignment and plea hearing. He signed a form…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves New England Auto Max, Inc., and others (the defendants), who are involved in a civil action where they unsuccessfully moved to dismiss the action for exceeding the $50,000 limit. The defendants then…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Brandyn Lepage, who was convicted of first-degree murder on the theory of felony-murder. Lepage shot and killed Aja Pascual in her car on September 29, 2012. The police obtained call logs from the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Quasim Hastings, a prisoner convicted of second-degree murder in 2004 and eligible for parole consideration. Hastings, diagnosed with a mental disability, is entitled to a parole hearing that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Warren W. Dunn, was charged with two counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography as a subsequent offense. The charges were based on evidence found in his…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a juvenile who was apprehended with firearms and ammunition and charged with various offenses. After being arraigned as a youthful offender, the juvenile was diagnosed with several…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a group of petitioners who challenged a trial court's decision to establish a 200-foot buffer zone around the Norfolk County Superior Court House during the trial of a high-profile murder case. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a public records request made by Eric Mack, whose brother, Anthony Harden, was fatally shot by police. Mack sought records related to the shooting under Massachusetts public records law. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a professional photographer who sexually exploited a minor. The defendant initially contacted the victim through a social networking site and began communicating with her through various means,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Outfront Media LLC (Outfront), a company that entered into a contract with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to advertise on outdoor signs owned by the MBTA. The city of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a nonmarital child who was removed from the mother's custody due to neglect. The Department of Children and Families filed a care and protection petition in the Juvenile Court. The father, who had…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2005, Leon Robinson was convicted of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for the 2001 shooting death of Recardo Robinson. The incident occurred in a barbershop after an argument between the two…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around the interpretation of a will and the application of the anti-lapse statute. Heather W. Hossack, the testator, had devised certain assets to her mother, Ethel Wyman, "if she survives me." However,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Terrence Tyler, who was convicted of felony-murder in the first degree with the predicate felony of attempted unarmed robbery and assault with intent to rob. The incident occurred during a planned…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts heard an appeal involving Bradley Zucchino, who was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, causing serious bodily injury and death. Zucchino…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts affirmed the lower court's summary judgment ruling against Jordan's Furniture, Inc. The company had implemented a commissions-based compensation scheme for its…

Justia Opinion Summary: Charles Robinson, the defendant, was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Edward Figueroa. Following his conviction, Robinson appealed and also filed a motion for a new trial citing…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, Rigoberto Escobar, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the shooting death of Magno Sosa after a heated argument that escalated into a fistfight. The defendant appealed, arguing that…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved defendant Julie A. Corey who was convicted of first-degree murder on the grounds of deliberate premeditation, extreme atrocity or cruelty, and felony-murder with the underlying felony of aggravated…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a dispute between tenured faculty members and Tufts University, the faculty members alleged that the university's policies requiring them to cover half of their salary with external research funding and reducing their…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a defendant convicted of severe, racially motivated violence, who sought to stay the execution of his sentence pending appeal. The defendant, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Morocco, with frequent…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2018, the Massachusetts Legislature enacted the "Tobacco Act," which prohibited the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21 years old. The town of Brookline later passed an ordinance that divided potential tobacco…

Justia Opinion Summary: The court examined a case involving a divorcing couple, Amy Sue Openshaw and Glen Romney Openshaw, who had a custom of regularly saving a portion of their income throughout their marriage. The husband contested the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the plaintiff, Fallon Community Health Plan, Inc., adopted a policy requiring its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The defendant, Shanika Jefferson, a home health aide employed by Fallon, sought…

Justia Opinion Summary: The dispute arose from an agreement between Columbia Plaza Associates (CPA) and Northeastern University regarding the development of a parcel of land in Boston. The contract stipulated that the developer for each phase…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a complex commercial dispute with a series of administrative and legal challenges, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts found that the defendants did not meet the criteria to dismiss the case under the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case of Commonwealth v. Rashad Shepherd, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts affirmed the defendant’s conviction of murder in the first degree on the theory of felony-murder, with attempted unarmed robbery…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the defendant, William J. Camuti, was convicted of murder in the first degree for poisoning his friend and business associate, Stephen Rakes, with potassium…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Commonwealth's appeal against the trial judge's denial of its motion to admit expert testimony on Frequent Location History (FLH) data retrieved from the defendant's cell phone in a murder case. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts was called upon to determine which law applied to the sealing of records from youthful offender proceedings - G. L. c. 276, § 100A, the adult criminal record…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves an appeal from a wrongful death action brought by Joni Babaletos, the personal representative of her late husband Thomas Babaletos, against Demoulas Super Markets, Inc., Philip Morris USA Inc., and R.J.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1995, the bodies of a woman and her daughter were found in separate locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut. More than two decades later, the woman's husband was convicted for her murder. On appeal, he asserted…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1982, William F. McDermott was convicted of first-degree murder. On direct review, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts found that the trial judge had erred in failing to instruct the jury that evidence of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case concerns the constitutional rights of a criminal defendant, A.Z., who was involuntarily hospitalized for a competency determination under Massachusetts law, G. L. c. 123, § 15 (b). The Supreme Judicial Court of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, six plaintiffs -- two criminal defense organizations, two defense attorneys, and two former criminal defendants -- filed a petition against the District Attorney's Office for the Hampden District in…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the defendant, Denzel McFarlane, convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and other related charges, appealed for a new trial. He based his appeal on the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Commonwealth's appeal of a judgment by a single justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, which upheld a lower court judge's decision to disqualify a prosecutor, Matthew Green, from a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, a Superior Court judge in Massachusetts sought guidance from the Supreme Judicial Court on three questions involving the pretrial confinement of a juvenile charged with murder. The juvenile, who was sixteen…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the defendant, Elvio Marrero, was convicted of the murder of Pernell Kimplin based on evidence that included bloodstains on Marrero's leather jacket. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, Jason Robinson, was convicted of first-degree murder on a joint venture theory of felony-murder, with armed robbery as the predicate offence, in connection with the shooting death of Inaam…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the defendant, Sheldon Mattis, was convicted of first degree murder among other charges, and was sentenced to a mandatory term of life in prison without the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this Massachusetts case, the defendant, Nyasani Watt, was convicted of first-degree murder and related offenses. After his conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, he filed a motion for…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, several residents of the town of Norwell, Massachusetts filed a lawsuit to compel the town's select board to transfer municipal land to the town's conservation commission. The select board had previously…