Commonwealth v. Dean

The defendant was convicted of kidnapping and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon based on events which took place in the course of a tumultuous day-and-a-half long drive with his estranged wife through central and western Massachusetts, southern Vermont, and northern Connecticut in December, 1981. The defendant argues on appeal that it was error for the judge to deny him the right to cross-examine the wife with respect to criminal charges pending against her for allegedly shooting him on March 26, 1982, about a month before trial. The judge excluded the line of…