Court Opinion

ID: 9721635
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 09:04:11.38058+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:27.846478
License: Public Domain

Nolan, J.
(dissenting). In Commonwealth v. Knight, 392 Mass. 192, 193 (1984), we declined to reverse a judgment of conviction (which the Appeals Court had reversed) based on the conclusion that the judge was aware of his discretion when he ruled that he would allow in evidence the defendant’s prior convictions. In Knight, the trial judge said, “It is my belief that we are dealing with a statute here, Section 21 of Chapter 233, and until the Legislature decides to change that statute, if they'ever do, any attorney may introduce convictions which come under that statute either in a civil or a criminal proceeding.” We approved the judge’s action in permitting the prior convictions to be introduced in evidence because we were satisfied that the judge knew he had discretion. We said that he knew of his discretion because counsel told him that he had discretion. For all practical, as well as material purposes, Knight is indistinguishable from the instant case.
In the instant case, apparently the court reverses because counsel did not tell the judge that he had discretion in admitting the prior convictions and the judge did not say that he had discretion. However, there is nothing to indicate that the judge thought that he had no discretion. This conviction should not be reversed because the judge neglected to utter the words, “I have discretion, but I shall admit . . . .”
I dissent.