Commonwealth v. Mahnke

*705Kaplan, J.

(with whom Wilkins, J., joins, dissenting). The record of this case discloses a dangerous vigilantism, not to be condoned even if it began out of understandable feelings of frustration. The response of the police detective in charge of the official investigation to these private activities was maladroit or worse.1 Later, the same officer and others deliberately obstructed counsel’s access to the defendant when the defendant had dire need of advice. At a trial following such events, constitutional protections should have been accorded to the accused with particular scruple. The able…