Commonwealth v. Francis

In November, 1967, the defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree for the killing of Marialice Pike in March, 1967. In 1969, we affirmed the judgment and the denial of his motion for a new trial. Commonwealth v. Francis, 355 Mass. 108 (1969). In 1989, the defendant moved again for a new trial; that motion was allowed by another judge (the original trial judge having retired).1 The Commonwealth appealed, and in 1992, we affirmed the allowance of the motion for a new trial. Commonwealth v. Francis, 411 Mass. 579, 580 (1992). The defendant pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree…