Leaster v. Commonwealth

In each of these three cases the petitioner, who is serving a life sentence for murder in the first degree, sought postconviction relief for asserted error in his conviction by filing in the Superior Court a motion under Mass. R. Crim. P. 30, 378 Mass. 900 (1979). 2 In each case a Superior Court judge denied the motion after hearing. Subsequently each petitioner sought to appeal the Superior Court ruling by leave of a single justice of this court, as required by G. L. c. 278, § 33E. 3 In each case leave to appeal was denied by the single justice and the petitioner claimed an appeal to the…