Commonwealth v. Holmes

Following a June, 1989, melee between Cambridge and Belmont youths that led to the death of Andreas Dresp of *551Belmont, the defendant was convicted of second degree murder. His conviction was upheld on appeal, 32 Mass. App. Ct. 906 (1992). Critical to the Commonwealth’s case was the testimony of three witnesses, Austin Price, Toryn Chambers, and Andrew Calkins. In a motion for a new trial filed in 1997, the defendant challenged the evidence elicited from the three: Price’s on the ground that the judge and prosecutor mishandled a cooperation agreement in violation of the teaching of Commonwealth…