Mr. Robinson was convicted of first-degree murder, armed robbery and carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds on April 3, 2002.
Attorney Scapicchio was able to successfully establish that the courtroom was closed to the public during jury selection on the first day of Mr. Robinson’s trial. The motion for new trial judge found that Mr. Robinson’s trial attorney was unaware of the closure, and that a structural error in the proceedings occurred, warranting a new trial.
Attorney Scapicchio was also successfully granted an evidentiary hearing on the issue of whether to extend adolescent brain science and the attendant protections provided to juvenile defendants to nineteen year old offenders. The motion judge, however, granted Mr. Robinson a new trial on the public trial issue prior to the litigation of this issue.