Commonwealth v. Martin

After a Superior Court jury trial the defendant, Arthur R. Martin, was convicted of murder in the second degree (on an indictment charging murder in the first degree) and of unlawfully carrying a firearm, G. L. c. 269, § 10(a), and sentenced. Represented by new counsel, he has appealed from the convictions and from the subsequent denial of his mo tion for a new trial. Martin’s sole contention at trial was lack of criminal responsibility and the dominant issue on appeal concerns whether that contention was prejudicially undermined by violations of G. L. c. 233, § 23B, as explained in Blaisdell…