Commonwealth v. King

Following the trial court’s denial of a G.L.c. 261, §27C motion by the indigent defendant, Joseph King (“King”), for funds to retain an expert on the subject of addiction and the amounts of certain contraband substances that would be consistent with personal use, King appealed to this Division.2 We reverse the denial, and order the allowance of the defendant’s motion.

King is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine in a school zone. Anticipating that the Commonwealth would proffer police testimony that the amounts of contraband found on King were consistent with distribution,…