Commonwealth v. Tanner

From his conviction by a Boston Municipal Court *433jury of distribution of cocaine, G. L. c. 94C, § 32A, and of the same offense within a school zone, G. L. c. 94C, § 32J, the defendant appeals, arguing that: (1) the Commonwealth’s evidence was legally insufficient as to both counts, and (2) the outcome of his trial was materially affected by the improper admission of hearsay evidence. Because we agree with the latter contention, we reverse.

We begin with a discussion of the claimed insufficiency of the evidence, which will provide context for our later discussion in which we conclude that…