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SJC overturns murder conviction for West Springfield woman

E-mail|Link|Comments () July 19, 2010 12:45 PM

By Globe Staff

The state's highest court has overturned the first-degree murder conviction of a West Springfield woman who claimed she was not responsible for killing her husband because of mental problems brought on by his plans to divorce her.

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled today in the case of Joann Sliech-Brodeur, who was convicted in 2006 in the July 28, 2004 killing of her husband, Joseph Brodeur, who was stabbed 34 times with a kitchen knife.

The court said the discovery process during the trial had violated rules of criminal procedure and prejudiced the defendant's case.

The court, in a decision written by Justice Margot Botsford, said that the prosecution's psychiatric expert had received information that he should not have.

"Here, the over-all strength of the Commonwealth's case relied heavily on Dr. [Martin] Kelly's testimony that the defendant did not meet the legal standard required for lack of criminal responsibility. However, that opinion and testimony was based on a review of a large quantity [of] materials that were erroneously provided to Dr. Kelly," the court wrote.

The court was split over the case, with Botsford joined by Chief Justice Margaret Marshall, and Justice Robert Cordy. Justices Ralph Gants and Judith Cowin dissented.