Armed Robbery and the Felony-Murder Conviction
On October 1, 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court delivered a key ruling in Commonwealth v. Souza, affirming James Souza’s conviction for first-degree murder based on the felony-murder rule. This case revolved around Souza’s involvement in an armed robbery that led to the death of Vannessa Courtney, a drug dealer whom he frequently purchased drugs from, […]
Double Jeopardy in Focus
On October 2, 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment in Hullum v. Commonwealth, addressing key issues around double jeopardy, duplicative convictions, and the retrial of lesser included offenses. Lance Hullum, the petitioner, appealed a county court’s decision denying his petition for extraordinary relief after his prior convictions were vacated and his retrial on […]