Commonwealth v. Barrett

These are appeals (G. L. c. 278, §§ 33A 33G) from the denials of the defendant’s two motions for a new trial. The defendant, in 1963, was indicted for and convicted of second degree murder. 1 No appeal was taken. In 1972, the defendant filed a motion for a new trial, which was denied. The motion alleged among other grounds that convictions resulting from previous trials at which the defendant had been without counsel had been unconstitutionally used at the trial to impeach the defendant’s credibility; he had testified on his own behalf that he had shot the victim in self-defense.…