Legal Opinion

Commonwealth v. Trapp

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided July 31, 1996PublishedCited by 67 opinions

1Opinion of the CourtLiacos, C.J.

In October, 1987, a Middlesex County jury returned a guilty verdict against the defendant, Randall W. Trapp, on an indictment charging murder in the first degree. The defendant had been retried after we overturned his initial conviction on the ground that improperly admitted character evidence caused prejudice. See Commonwealth v. Trapp, 396 Mass. 202 (1985).

The evidence regarding the homicide itself and identification of the perpetrator was substantially the same at both trials. On the evidence submitted at the second trial, the jury could have concluded that Trapp encountered one Lawrence…

2Cases cited39 opinions

  1. United States v. WadeSupreme Court of the United States · 1967
  2. Gilbert v. CaliforniaSupreme Court of the United States · 1967
  3. Estelle v. WilliamsSupreme Court of the United States · 1976
  4. Estelle v. SmithSupreme Court of the United States · 1981
  5. United States v. AshSupreme Court of the United States · 1973

34 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.

3Cited by67 opinions

  1. Commonwealth v. BarbosaMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2010
  2. Trapp v. SpencerCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 2007
  3. Commonwealth v. KellyMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2015
  4. Commonwealth v. NiemicMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1998
  5. Commonwealth v. MaldonadoMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1999

62 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.

Showing a preview — retrieve the full document via the Exa API.

Powered by the Exa API