Commonwealth v. Stroyny

Marshall, CJ.

In January, 1995, the defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree on the theory of extreme atrocity or cruelty.1 Represented by new counsel, the defendant filed a motion for a new trial in April, 2000, which was denied by the trial judge after a hearing. The defendant’s appeals from the jury verdict and the denial of his motion for a new trial have been consolidated.

The defendant argues that the judge failed to conduct an adequate voir dire of the jury venire, and failed to conduct, sua sponte, a voir dire on the voluntariness of several of the defendant’s out-of-court…