Case Title: Commonwealth v. McGrath

Citation: 

Docket Number: SJC-11909

State: massachusetts

Court: Massachusetts Supreme Court

Date: 2017-05-25T00:00:00Z

Document:
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SJC-11909 
 
COMMONWEALTH  vs.  GEORGE McGRATH. 
 
 
May 25, 2017. 
 
 
Supreme Judicial Court, Superintendence of inferior 
courts. Practice, Criminal, Capital case. 
 
 
 
George McGrath purports to appeal from the decision of a 
single justice of this court, pursuant to the gatekeeper 
provision of G. L. c. 278, § 33E, denying leave to appeal from 
the denial of his motion for a new trial on charges of murder in 
the first degree and assault with intent to rob.1  "A defendant 
who is denied leave to appeal from a single justice acting as a 
gatekeeper . . . has no right to appeal from the single 
justice's ruling denying leave.  The single justice's ruling is 
'final and unreviewable.'"  Commonwealth v. Companiono, 472 
Mass. 1004, 1005 (2015), quoting Commonwealth v. Gunter, 456 
Mass. 1017, 1017 (2010), S.C., 459 Mass. 480, cert. denied, 565 
U.S. 868 (2011).  We see no reason to depart from this 
longstanding rule.  See Commonwealth v. Robinson, 477 
Mass.     (2017). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appeal dismissed. 
 
 
The case was submitted on briefs. 
 
Kathleen M. McCarthy for the defendant. 
 
Teresa K. Anderson, Assistant District Attorney, for the 
Commonwealth. 
 
1 McGrath's convictions were affirmed on direct appeal after 
plenary review.  Commonwealth v. McGrath, 358 Mass. 314 (1970).  
In addition, we reversed the allowance of McGrath's previous 
motion for a new trial.  Commonwealth v. McGrath, 437 Mass. 46, 
cert. denied, 537 U.S. 980 (2002).