Perkins' conviction was affirmed on direct appeal in September 1997. Commonwealth v. Perkins, 43 Mass.App.Ct. 1111, 684 N.E.2d 270 (1997). He filed several post-conviction motions for a new trial in state court thereafter, each of which was denied.
Petitioner was found guilty by a Massachusetts Superior Court jury of fourteen charges arising from the violent armed robbery and kidnapping of James Martin. See Commonwealth v. Perkins, No. 95-P-1915, 1 (Mass.App.Ct. Sept. 19, 1997). He raised the grounds at issue here, grounds five and six, in a second motion for a new trial, having previously raised grounds one through four on direct appeal and on a prior motion for a new trial.
The petitioner was found guilty by a Massachusetts Superior Court jury of fourteen charges arising from a violent armed robbery and kidnapping of James Martin. See Commonwealth v. Perkins, No. 95-P-1915, 1 (Mass.App.Ct. Sept. 19, 1997) ("Perkins I"). The petitioner appealed and raised grounds one and two of the instant petition, which contend that he was denied his right to confront Martin, who served as a government witness, and that his closing arguments were improperly limited. Id. at 1-5.