Commonwealth v. Pizarro
Commonwealth v. Pizarro
Opinion of the Court
The defendant's probation was revoked following an evidentiary hearing. On appeal, he argues that his due process rights were violated. We vacate the order revoking probation and remand for further proceedings.
Background. On July 5, 2016, the defendant pleaded guilty to violation of an abuse prevention order (G. L. c. 209A). He was sentenced to eighteen months in a house of correction, with fifty-nine days to be served and the balance suspended for two years of supervised probation. One of the conditions of the defendant's probation was to "stay away from Susan Smith's[
On August 19, 2016, Officer Curtis St. Germain responded to a call reporting a domestic disturbance at Smith's home and arrested the defendant.
At the probation revocation hearing, Officer St. Germain testified that when he responded to the domestic disturbance call, Smith told him that the defendant had hit her. Smith also testified at the hearing. She denied making the report to Officer St. Germain and further denied being hit by the defendant.
During Smith's testimony, the judge asked her how many times she had been struck by the defendant and how many times she had been required to telephone the police regarding the defendant. The judge also admitted in evidence three abuse prevention orders against the defendant filed by Smith, and Smith's accompanying affidavits. Each abuse prevention order had expired prior to the defendant's arrest. Over the defendant's objection, the judge questioned Smith extensively about her prior statements in the affidavits.
At the end of the hearing, the clerk stated: "After hearing on 15-1153, 15-344, 16-2880, and 14-1786, the Court has found a violation of probation having been found after hearing, the balance of the sentences imposed on 15-344 of Count A and the other matters can be terminated-." Counsel objected to the revocation decision, stating that "the probation conditions form have [sic ] to be introduced into evidence prior to any findings of violation[,] and that hasn't been done."
Due process violation. The record on appeal does not include the surrender notice,
These omissions constituted error in violation of the defendant's due process rights. Commonwealth v. Herrera,
We review these preserved
Accordingly, we vacate the order revoking probation and remand for further proceedings consistent with this memorandum and order.
So ordered.
Vacated and remanded.
A pseudonym.
It was not clear whether Smith's aunt or mother placed the telephone call.
Though the defendant did not raise this issue directly, the surrender notice is essential for our consideration of the argument that his due process rights were violated. See Foley v. Lowell Sun Publishing Co.,
During the oral argument, the panel asked the parties to submit the surrender notice; in spite of the Commonwealth's assurance that it would "make every effort to find" the surrender notice in its file, the surrender notice has not been submitted.
The defendant objected to the judge's consideration of the defendant's prior misconduct and objected to the failure to "introduce [ ] into evidence" "the probation conditions form."
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.