Judge of Boston’s next death penalty case may recuse himself over conflict of interest
Judge Wolf spoke with someone at a 2014 film screening who was later called as a witness.
The judge in Boston’s next death penalty case must weigh whether his involvement in a 2014 Martha’s Vinyard film screening is a conflict of interest with a witness, according to The Boston Globe.
U.S. Senior District Judge Mark L. Wolf has overseen the death penalty trial of admitted serial killer Gary Lee Sampson since the case was first filed in 2001—Sampson was sentenced to death by a federal jury in 2003, but a new trial was ordered by Wolf in 2011 after it was discovered that one of the jurors that sentenced Sampson to death lied.
Now, questions have been raised over Wolf’s previous interactions with someone who may be a witness in the next death penalty trial.
After the film screening in Martha’s Vinyard, Wolf moderated a film panel discussion, the Globe reports, and spoke with panelist Dr. James F. Gilligan about mental health and prison conditions. Gilligan is a prisoners’ rights reform advocate; Wolf said he didn’t know Gilligan would later be called as a witness, according to the Globe.
Though Wolf said they didn’t discuss the Sampson case, the appearance of a conflict of interest is such that he’s considering recusing himself from the case.
Read the full Globe story here.
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