Commonwealth v. Bartoloni

The defendant has been convicted under an indictment which alleges that on or about October 18, 1972, at Walpole, he, “being armed with a dangerous weapon, to wit, a knife, did assault Richard E. Hayes with intent to murder him.” The only exceptions which have been argued to us 1 are concerned with the trial judge’s denial of the defendant’s motions (1) for a directed verdict presented at the close of all the evidence and (2) to poll the jury with respect to and to declare a mistrial because of a certain newspaper article which was published on the morning of the second day of the trial.

1. We…