Appeals Court Reverses Conviction Based on Insufficient Evidence that Knife was a ‘Dangerous Weapon

AUGUST 4, 2014

Last month, the Massachusetts Appeals Court reversed a criminal defendant’s conviction for carrying a dangerous weapon due to insufficient evidence that the knife he was carrying was the type of knife prohibited under the applicable statute.

In Commonwealth v. Higgins, the defendant was convicted of violating M.G.L. c. 269 §10(b), which makes it illegal for anyone to carry certain kinds of knives deemed to be dangerous weapons. This conviction came as somewhat of a surprise, as the jury failed to also convict the defendant of the aggravated assault and battery charge that was the centerpiece of the trial.

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Posted In: Assault and Battery , Dangerous Weapons , Evidence