Legal Opinion
Commonwealth v. Leno
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Decided March 29, 1978PublishedCited by 38 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtWilkins, J.
The defendant was convicted of rape and assault with intent to rape. He challenges the admission against him, for impeachment purposes, of records of his prior convictions of kidnapping and rape, arguing that their admission denied him a fair trial. Records of prior convictions are admissible for impeachment purposes under G. L. c. 233, § 21. We recently have discussed and rejected a somewhat similar challenge to G. L. c. 233, § 21, involving an assertion of denial of due process of law. Commonwealth v. Chase, 372 Mass. 736, 749-751 (1977) (defendant, previously convicted of murder, declined…
2Cases cited10 opinions
- Bruton v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1968
- Commonwealth v. BoydMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1975
- Commonwealth v. ChaseMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1977
- Commonwealth v. FergusonMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1974
- Commonwealth v. BumpusMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1972
5 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by38 opinions
- Commonwealth v. RobertsMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1979
- Commonwealth v. AmiraultMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1989
- Commonwealth v. DockhamMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1989
- Commonwealth v. WhiteheadMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1980
- Commonwealth v. SmallwoodMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1980
33 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.