Commonwealth v. A Juvenile
Massachusetts Appeals Court
534 N.E.2d 809 (1989)
- Written by Deanna Curl, JD
Facts
John Jarvis (defendant), a juvenile, was charged with delinquency by the commonwealth. During Jarvis’s jury trial on his delinquency charge, the commonwealth did not admit any evidence to establish that Jarvis was between seven and 17 years old. At the close of the commonwealth’s case, Jarvis’s attorney moved for a directed verdict of not guilty because the commonwealth had failed to establish that Jarvis was a juvenile. Following a hearing, the juvenile court denied Jarvis’s motion. The juvenile court subsequently instructed the jury that they must find that Jarvis was between seven and 17 years of age beyond a reasonable doubt. Following his adjudication, Jarvis appealed the denial of his motion for a directed verdict.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Dreben, J.)
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