Commonwealth v. Morganti

On June 13, 2003, at the Superior Court in Brock-ton, the defendant was convicted by a jury of murder in the first degree for the shooting death of Anthony LoConte. During jury empanelment, the court officers closed the court room to all members of the public, as was the custom and practice at the time in that court. Among those excluded were Beverly Coco-*97mile, Theresa Andrade, and Richard Cocomile, the defendant’s mother, sister, and stepfather, respectively.1 The defendant did not object to the court room closure, nor did he raise any claim relating to its closure in his direct appeal,…