Commonwealth v. Paton

After a jury-waived trial, a District Court judge found the defendant guilty of criminal harassment, G. L. c. 265, § 43A(a). The defendant claims that the evidence was insufficient to show that he acted wilfully and maliciously toward the victim, that his conduct would not have caused a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, and that the judge should have allowed his motion for a required finding of not guilty. We affirm the conviction.

Factual background. Early one evening in June, 2001, the victim, a college student from Norwell who was working that summer as a waitress…