218 F. Supp. 2d 26 (2002) (masked armed robbery)
The prosecutor’s outrageous conduct in closing argument, calling himself a choirboy and saying the defendant did not get the presumption of innocence, infected the trial with unfairness.
On March 6, 2017, Attorney Wood and a team of attorneys from Ropes & Gray filed a brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Weaver v. Massachusetts, No. 16-240. They argue that the Court should not shy away from vindicating the treasured right to a public trial. The government's argument that vindicating the right to a public trial would "open up the floodgates" is both factually incorrect and diverts attention from the real issue: whether our Constitution entitles everyone to a public trial. Read the brief here.
218 F. Supp. 2d 26 (2002) (masked armed robbery)
The prosecutor’s outrageous conduct in closing argument, calling himself a choirboy and saying the defendant did not get the presumption of innocence, infected the trial with unfairness.
53 Mass.App.Ct. 685 (2002) (armed robbery)
The defendant was entitled to display his tattoos to the jury to show that he had been misidentified. Because the judge refused to allow this, he was entitled to a new trial.
52 Mass.App.Ct. 25 (2001) (attempted murder, solicitation of felony)
The defendant was recorded recruiting undercover informants to kill someone. The evidence was insufficient to convict the defendant of attempted murder.
49 Mass. App. Ct. 827 (2000) (armed robbery)
The jury should have been told that the prosecutor’s failure to call crucial witnesses could be held against the Commonwealth.
50 Mass. App. Ct. 312 (2000) (armed home invasion).
Trial counsel was ineffective in failing to request that the jury be told that consent was a defense to home invasion.
47 Mass.App.Ct. 1110 (2009) (violation of probation)
The defendant escaped jail while also on probation. Authorities’ failure to seek his return to Massachusetts prevented them from revoking his probation 13 years later.