Commonwealth v. Greene

The defendant was convicted on an indictment charging him with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. At trial, the victim, Thomas O’Neil, and his former girlfriend (Burns) refused to implicate the defendant, although each had, prior to trial, made statements that Greene had shot O’Neil. The defendant in his appeal claims the judge erred in admitting in evidence prior statements of Burns and O’Neil, in finding that both were hostile witnesses, and in allowing the prosecutor, in closing argument, to urge that Burns testified as she did at trial because she was “scared.” We affirm…