Commonwealth v. Rivera
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The Supreme Judicial Court vacated Defendant's conviction of accessory after the fact to murder, holding that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the conviction.
Defendant, who witnessed a killing, did not provide the police with a false alibi or comparable information that would exculpate the killer, a false narrative of the crime that would give the killer a defense, or false information to assist in the killer's escape. The only "aid" or "assistance" alleged in this case was that Defendant made false and misleading statements to police detectives and refused to provide them with requested telephone numbers. The Supreme Judicial Court vacated Defendant's conviction, holding (1) Defendant's false statements and refusal to cooperate did not constitute the aid or assistance necessary to find him guilty as an accessory after the fact under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 274, 4; and (2) the evidence was insufficient as a matter of law to sustain the conviction.
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