Commonwealth v. Powers

The defendant was convicted on two complaints charging her with obtaining possession of a controlled substance by “forgery or falsification of a prescription.” See G. L. c. 94C, § 33(b). She appeals and claims various errors in the judge’s charge to the jury.

1. Reasonable doubt. The focus of the defendant’s attack is on the judge’s statement set out in the margin. That comment was considered in Commonwealth v. Williams, 378 Mass. 217, 233-235 (1979), and Commonwealth v. Hughes, 380 Mass. 596, 601 (1980). See Commonwealth v. Delaney, 8 Mass. App. Ct. 406, 407 n.l (1979). In the Williams case,…