Opinion ID: 199401
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The State Court Appeal

Text: 14 Johnson appealed his convictions as well as the denial of his motion for a new trial to the Massachusetts Appeals Court. In his appeal Johnson claimed that the trial judge erred when he failed to hold a competency hearing sua sponte after Johnson became ill on the first day of trial. The appeals court rejected this claim, concluding that it was not error for the judge to proceed with trial without holding a competency hearing after Johnson returned on the second day. Commonwealth v. Johnson, No. 97-P-1450 (Mass. App. Ct. May 5, 1998) (memorandum and order). The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts denied Johnson's application for leave to obtain further appellate review. Commonwealth v. Johnson, 700 N.E.2d 268 (Mass. 1998). Johnson then filed a petition seeking a writ of habeas corpus.