Legal Opinion
Commonwealth v. Fontes
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Decided February 12, 1986PublishedCited by 49 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtWilkins, J.
By an unpublished order, the Appeals Court affirmed the defendant’s conviction of the murder in the second degree of John N. Beauvais-Warr (victim) in Fairhaven in March, 1982. Commonwealth v. Fontes, 19 Mass. App. Ct. 1108 (1985). We granted the defendant’s application for further appellate review. We did so principally to consider whether we should adopt a new rule that evidence of a victim’s specific acts of violence, known to the defendant and occuring not long before a killing, is admissible to prove one element of self-defense, that at the time of the killing the defendant reasonably…
2Cases cited16 opinions
- People v. MillerNew York Court of Appeals · 1976
- Commonwealth v. HarringtonMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1980
- Commonwealth v. RobertsMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1979
- Commonwealth v. ConnollyMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1970
- Guss Maggitt v. Donald Wyrick, Warden, Missouri State PenitentiaryCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1976
11 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by49 opinions
- McCambridge v. HallCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 2002
- Fortini v. MurphyCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit · 2001
- Commonwealth v. DegroMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2000
- Commonwealth v. SimpsonMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2001
- Commonwealth v. AdjutantMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 2005
44 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.