Commonwealth v. Rios

We reverse the defendants’ convictions because, in violation of their constitutional rights, the trial judge barred the defendants from a portion of their trial during which testimony was presented. The judge excluded the defendants, but not their counsel, from the courtroom during the testimony of a police officer concerning the location from which, as he testified, he saw the defendants engage in un lawful sales of drugs. The judge ruled as she did in response to the prosecutor’s request that the place from which police officers saw the illegal activity not be disclosed. The judge…