Appellant McCowen Brief - Mass Cases
Appellant McCowen Brief - Mass Cases
Appellant McCowen Brief - Mass Cases
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judge. Kamara, 422 <strong>Mass</strong>. at 620; Tennison, supra. at 559-<br />
60. The court found Huffman qualified during the only<br />
hearing conducted. Tr. 3741.<br />
The trial court's reliance on Garrey was also<br />
misguided. Tx. 3798. There, the Commonwealth moved to<br />
discharge a deliberating juror whose son and husband had<br />
been arrested, the son confined in the same lhouse of<br />
correction as the defendant. The juror, unaware the<br />
defendant was incarcerated, said she could remain<br />
impartial. The trial judge opined that she could, but<br />
nevertheless discharged her because of the prosecutor's<br />
concern. The defendant objected, arguing that concern<br />
could be addressed by relocating the defendant. Garrey,<br />
436 <strong>Mass</strong>. at 430-31.<br />
The Garrey trial court held a hearing; this court<br />
did not. But Huffman's impartiality was not the issue.<br />
The court said she'd been dishonest about her<br />
relationship with her child's father, Tr. 3800, though<br />
nothing in the xecord supports that conclusion. The<br />
prosecutor, whose nomination for judgeship during trial<br />
was a Cape Cod Times front-page story, moved to remove<br />
Huffman, noting she'd referred to CourtTV during the<br />
conversation. Tr. 3790. Linked by a need to secure a<br />
verdict, the court and prosecutor torture!d this<br />
reference to infer she alone watched TV news in<br />
-32-