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Appeals court hears claim that trial judge improperly pushed plea; defense says judicial involvement created risk of unfairness
Summary
Appeals Court justices heard arguments in Commonwealth v. Hussein Zaza about whether a trial judge crossed the line from case management into improper plea advocacy and biased conduct at trial.
The panel considered an appeal by Hussein Zaza arguing that the trial judge's conduct at pretrial conferences and during trial created a substantial risk of miscarriage of justice. Defense counsel Dana Kerrigan told the court the judge 'orchestrated' plea discussions, put pressure on the defendant to accept a particular disposition, questioned witnesses in a manner that undermined defense theory, and later accepted the Commonwealth's sentencing recommendation.
Kerrigan described specific conduct: the judge proposed…
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