Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Decisions 2025

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted by a jury of aggravated rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child under fourteen years old. The charges stemmed from the defendant's rape and sexual assault of his…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant was convicted of first-degree murder. The incident occurred on February 6, 2006, when the victim was shot multiple times in an apartment building. Several witnesses, including Corrin Cripps,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant crashed his vehicle into a State police cruiser parked in the breakdown lane on Interstate Route 90, resulting in the death of a trooper. The defendant was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, misdemeanor…

Justia Opinion Summary: In August 2021, five defendants responded to online advertisements offering sexual services for a fee. The advertisements, posted by undercover police officers, depicted an adult woman and listed various sexual services.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Two detectives from the Lowell police department, while investigating a home invasion in Lowell, Massachusetts, crossed into Nashua, New Hampshire, to speak with the defendant. During the conversation, one detective…

Justia Opinion Summary: A child was born on May 30, 2017, to unmarried parents. The mother, A.D., believed Q.T. was the father, and he signed a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage (VAP) on June 1, 2017. However, a DNA test on July 6, 2017,…

Justia Opinion Summary: A child was removed from her mother's care by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) shortly after birth due to neglect. The child spent most of her life in foster care. In February 2019, a Juvenile Court judge…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of deliberately premeditated murder in the first degree for the shooting death of Jesus Flores at the entrance of a Springfield nightclub. The primary issue at trial was the identification of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Clough, Harbour & Associates LLP (CHA), agreed to design a new athletic field for the plaintiff, Trustees of Boston University (university). The contract included an express indemnification provision,…

Justia Opinion Summary: A juvenile was found delinquent on firearm charges and guilty on a youthful offender indictment for one of the offenses. At the trial, the juvenile was nineteen years old, and the Commonwealth called his mother to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jeff Stacy, a lineman for Unitil Corporation, continued working during the COVID-19 pandemic as his job was classified as an essential service. Despite the Governor's orders to shut down nonessential businesses, Stacy…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was found guilty of first-degree murder, improper disposal of a body, and willfully misleading a police officer. The case involves the killing of a long-time friend, whose body was discovered by a passerby…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant who was convicted of multiple charges following an altercation involving a woman and three men, including the defendant and the victim. The defendant was found guilty of assault with intent…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of animal cruelty after witnesses observed him repeatedly punching his dog in a public park. The defendant claimed he was trying to save a groundhog his dog was attacking and that he minimized…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves BAK Realty, LLC, and Crossing Over, Inc., which operate a sober house in a three-family dwelling in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The sober house, located in a residential B (RB) district, houses thirteen…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Lorraine Bellmar, as the personal representative of her deceased husband Harry Bellmar's estate, filed a medical malpractice and wrongful death action against Dr. Robert Moore and his medical practice.…

Justia Opinion Summary: A Cambridge police officer observed a black Mazda sedan with an unilluminated rear license plate and initiated a traffic stop. The driver, Natnael Zemene, and two passengers were removed from the vehicle for an inventory…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was observed by a state trooper driving at a high speed and was stopped. During the stop, the trooper noticed the defendant making movements that suggested he might be armed. The trooper conducted a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Two minor sisters suffered severe harm while in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). In August 2015, the older sister, then twenty-two months old, manipulated a thermostat dial from her crib,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder for killing his wife after discovering text messages between her and another man. The defense argued mental impairment, supported by an expert forensic psychiatrist's…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Matthew Theisz, was assaulted by an MBTA bus driver with a known history of anger management issues and prior violent incidents. The MBTA had hired, promoted, and retained the driver despite his…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. The murder occurred on July 4, 2018, when the victim was shot while watching fireworks with his wife. The shooter was a passenger…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, a New Hampshire resident, was arrested in Massachusetts on November 8, 2021, for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol following a collision. During a search of his vehicle, a handgun…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, a New Hampshire resident, was involved in a vehicle accident in Massachusetts and was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the lease of a commercial property that has lasted nearly eight years. The plaintiff brought claims against the defendants for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the defendant, David Roman, who was convicted of murder in the first degree for the killing of Joseph Stanick. On May 9, 2015, a police officer found Stanick's dead body at his residence. Roman admitted…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early morning of October 23, 2013, Colleen Ritzer, a Danvers High School math teacher, was found dead in the woods outside the high school. She had been raped, strangled, and stabbed. The defendant, a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, the register of deeds for Norfolk County, filed a lawsuit against the county commissioners for Norfolk County, seeking declaratory, mandamus, and injunctive relief regarding funding and personnel matters…

Justia Opinion Summary: The taxpayer, 480 McClellan LLC, leased property from the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to construct and operate a cargo facility. The property, located in East Boston, was previously taxable before Massport…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was charged with three counts: second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury resulting in death. The trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendants, Nicholas Sicellon and Jerion Moore, were indicted for first-degree murder and unlicensed possession of a firearm. Their first trial in December 2021 ended in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury. In their…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, a police captain in the West Springfield police department, was found guilty of obtaining an unwarranted privilege with fraudulent intent by using over $1,000 from the police department's evidence room to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, Jeffrey Cubberley and Philip Seaver, filed a lawsuit against The Commerce Insurance Company, seeking declaratory relief and compensation for alleged breach of contract. They claimed that Commerce was…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant was on trial for murder. During jury deliberations, an argument between two jurors led to allegations of racial bias. The judge conducted a limited inquiry into the matter but did not fully…

Justia Opinion Summary: A juvenile was involved in an altercation at the Barnstable District and Juvenile Court, where he was charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery. The incident was captured on video, showing the juvenile and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Commonwealth sought to civilly commit a prisoner, previously convicted of a sexual offense, as a "sexually dangerous person" (SDP) under Massachusetts law. The process required expert testimony to establish probable…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder for the killing of Paul Finegan at a backyard birthday party in Springfield. The defendant arrived at the party, where the victim, who was uninvited, became upset upon…

Justia Opinion Summary: A Braintree tobacco compliance officer observed an open container of Jazz brand "Black & Mild" cigars on display behind the cash register of a convenience store. The Board of Health of Braintree found that the store…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between partners in a limited partnership formed to develop and operate an affordable housing project in Boston. The financing and structure of the project were driven by the Low Income…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the construction of a substation by Park City Wind LLC (PCW) that will connect an offshore wind farm to the New England electric grid. Jacqueline Johnson, the petitioner, lives near the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Communities Act, which mandates that cities and towns with local access to MBTA services adopt zoning laws to provide at least one district of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In July 2019, the defendant was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. While at a supermarket, a mother observed the defendant pointing his cell phone at an unusual angle towards her and her…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Steven Luppold, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after an above-the-knee amputation of his left leg. He alleged that the negligence of three healthcare providers—Susan Hanlon, a registered nurse;…