State supreme court hears appeal in Van Dorsey murder conviction over PTSD inquiry and premeditation evidence At oral argument in Commonwealth v. Van Dorsey Jr., defense counsel argued trial counsel improperly ended an investigation into post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depriving the defendant of a viable mental‑state defense; the Commonwealth said the affidavit is insufficient to meet the defendant's burden. The justices probed expert reports, forensic details and whether the record supports premeditation.

In a gripping appeal, the Massachusetts Supreme Court scrutinizes whether a crucial PTSD inquiry was prematurely halted, potentially undermining a murder conviction.

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