People v. Rega

When a judge undertakes the questioning of a defendant in a criminal trial before a jury, he must be aware of the line between legitimate truth-seeking and impermissible advocacy. In this armed robbery prosecution, the judge crossed the line by a wide margin. For that reason, we reverse the defendant’s armed robbery conviction and remand for a new trial.

THE EVIDENCE

On December 31, 1992, the defendant and Stewart Caldwell entered the Oasis liquor store. The cashier described how they entered the store together, walked up and down some aisles, then toward a cooler which was 10 to 15 feet from…