Court: Prosecutors shouldn't help private groups offering rewards to witnesses in murder cases

But the Supreme Judicial court today upheld the murder conviction of a New Bedford man despite rewards paid to two of the witnesses against him for helping to solve the crime.

The court agreed that the letters the DA wrote to a private group certifying the help given by the two violated the rules of conduct for Massachusetts lawyers, which "prohibit the practice of compensating fact witnesses beyond their time lost and for expenses reasonably incurred in attending or testifying."

The court continued, however, that because prosecutors disclosed the potential rewards ($3,000 each) to Wayne Miranda's lawyers before the two testified and because the lawyers questioned the pair on the possible implications of getting paid to testify, Miranda's right to due process was not violated.

Miranda was convicted of second-degree homicide in 2008 for handing another man a gun used to gun down a man in 2005.

Complete ruling.