Legal Opinion
Commonwealth v. Bell
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Decided August 1, 2011No. SJC-10394PublishedCited by 26 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtBotsford, J.
A Superior Court jury convicted the defendant Lastarandre Bell of murder in the first degree of Julie Ann Nieves on a theory of felony-murder. The defendant also was convicted of armed home invasion, arson, and two charges of violation of an abuse prevention order. The defendant appeals both from his convictions and from the denial of his motion for a new trial. He claims that (1) the merger doctrine renders legally impossible his felony-murder conviction because the underlying felony and the homicide share the same conduct, and defense counsel was ineffective for not raising the issue; and…
2Cases cited33 opinions
- Commonwealth v. SaferianMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1974
- Commonwealth v. SatterfieldMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1977
- Commonwealth v. MatchettMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1982
- Commonwealth v. ZanettiMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2009
- Commonwealth v. GunterMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1998
28 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by26 opinions
- Commonwealth v. FigueroaMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2014
- Commonwealth v. EntwistleMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2012
- Commonwealth v. BayeMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2012
- Commonwealth v. SepheusMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2014
- Commonwealth v. HowardMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2014
21 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.