Commonwealth v. Steele

The defendant was the subject of two indictments charging him with (1) burning a dwelling house, and (2) burning insured property. A Superior Court jury returned guilty verdicts on both indictments. On May 14, 1992, the judge imposed a ten-year sentence to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution (M.C.I.), Concord, on the indictment charging the defendant with burning a dwelling.1 Over the Commonwealth’s objection, the trial judge allowed a motion by the defendant to stay the execution of the sentence pending appeal.

On November 1, 1994, this court affirmed the defendant’s conviction.…