Commonwealth v. Taylor

From his conviction of murder in the second degree (G. L. c. 265, § 1) and the denial of his motion for a new trial, the defendant appeals. He claims that the trial judge erred (1) in admitting in evidence the prior testimony of a Commonwealth witness given at a probable cause hearing in which the defendant’s right of cross-examination was limited and in allowing a transcript of that testimony to be read to the jury, rather than introduced as an exhibit; (2) in informing the jury during their empanelment that this witness had died in an unrelated automobile accident; (3) in admitting in…