Case Name: Commonwealth vs. Odell Harris
Court: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Jurisdiction: Massachusetts
Decision Date: 1980-01-07
Citations: 379 Mass. 917
Docket Number: 
Parties: Commonwealth vs. Odell Harris.
Judges: 
Reporter: Massachusetts Reports
Volume: 379
Pages: 917–917

Head Matter:
Commonwealth vs. Odell Harris.
January 7, 1980.
Bernard Grossberg for the defendant.
M. Ashley Brown, Legal Assistant to the District Attorney (Michael J. Traft, Assistant District Attorney, with her) for the Commonwealth.

Opinion:
The defendant died the day after argument of his appeal in this court. If a criminal defendant dies while his appeal is under consideration, normally the judgment should be vacated and the indictment dismissed. Commonwealth v. Eisen, 368 Mass. 813 (1975). Neither the asserted importance of the issues nor any personal interest in the defendant's vindication is sufficient to warrant deciding the appeal. Id. at 814. Counsel have not presented any other reason why we should decide this appeal. The matter of counsel fees will be decided by a single justice of this court.
Judgment on indictment No. 02436 is vacated; the case is remanded to the Superior Court where the indictment shall be dismissed.