Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Panel debates whether jurors seeing handcuffed defendant required reversal in Commonwealth v. Pacheco
Summary
In Commonwealth v. Pacheco the defense argued a videotape shown to jurors that depicted the defendant in restraints prejudiced the trial; the court questioned whether the trial judge had an obligation to address the restraint on the record or to give a curative instruction sua sponte.
The Appeals Court questioned whether a trial judge must address on the record the prejudicial effect of showing jurors a recording that depicts a defendant handcuffed during police interrogation and whether failing to do so could be structural error.
Attorney Jennifer Peterson told the panel the visible restraints were 'highly prejudicial' and argued the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
