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Commonwealth v. Woodward

Citations

  • 427 Mass. 659
  • 694 N.E.2d 1277
  • 1998 Mass. LEXIS 327

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

  • providing summary of cases where trial judges reduced verdicts to lesser included offenses under rule 25[b][2]
  • affirming denial of Commonwealth’s postconviction request to vacate and remand lawful sentence for possible increase where defendant’s expectation of finality in initial sentence would render new, harsher sentence impermissible multiple punishment
  • comparing authority of trial judge to reduce verdict under rule 25 [b] [2] to that of Supreme Judicial Court under G. L. c. 278, § 33E
  • judge’s refusal to instruct on lesser included manslaughter charge “impermissibly prevented the jury from considering a lesser degree of culpability for [the defendant]”
  • \We do expect a judge to state the reasons for a reduction in verdict\ under rule 25 [b] [2]
  • “We do expect a judge to state the reasons for a reduction in verdict” under rule 25 [b] [2]

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).

Judges: Greaney, Marshall

Read full opinion on CourtListener

Cited by

91 cases in this archive cite this case; the 20 most cited are listed.

Cites

114 cases in this archive are cited by this case; the 20 most cited are listed.

Other cases named Commonwealth v. Woodward

14 other CourtListener records share this case name.

Sourced from CourtListener / Free Law Project (CC0).

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.