Legal Opinion
William H. Doucette, Jr. v. George Vose
Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Decided March 23, 1988No. 87-1413PublishedCited by 26 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
BREYER, Circuit Judge.
In 1979, a Massachusetts jury convicted appellant William Doucette of first degree murder. After exhausting state remedies, he filed a habeas corpus petition in federal district court, 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (1982). He claims that his conviction violated the United States Constitution primarily because the trial judge told the jury:
When the killing is caused by the intentional use of a deadly weapon, such as a knife, there arises a presumption that the killing was with malice aforethought.
In appellant’s view, this instruction (combined with several others) impermissibly…
2Cases cited30 opinions
- Strickland v. WashingtonSupreme Court of the United States · 1984
- Wainwright v. SykesSupreme Court of the United States · 1977
- United States v. FradySupreme Court of the United States · 1982
- Sandstrom v. MontanaSupreme Court of the United States · 1979
- Francis v. FranklinSupreme Court of the United States · 1985
25 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by26 opinions
- United States v. Efraim Natanel A/K/A Efriam NatanelCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1991
- Gunter v. MaloneyCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 2002
- Wesley P. Tart v. Commonwealth of MassachusettsCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1991
- Simpson v. MatesanzCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1999
- Ortiz v. DuboisCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 1994
21 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.