Commonwealth v. Westerman

On September 30, 1988, a jury convicted the defendant, Gary Westerman, of trafficking in cocaine. The defendant filed a timely appeal, and we transferred the case to this court on our own motion. In his appeal, the defendant alleges numerous errors. The crux of the appeal, however, turns on the appropriate use by police of electronic surveillance techniques authorized under G. L. c. 272, § 99 (1990 ed.). After reviewing the record, we conclude that there were no errors that require reversal of the conviction.

Beginning in 1985, the office of the district attorney for the Hampden district…