The State Supreme Judicial Court upheld a first-degree murder conviction against a Brockton man.
Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz says the court upheld the 2009 murder conviction for Joao Teixeira.
Brockton Police had received multiple calls reporting shots fired in the parking lot of a convenience store at 662 Belmont Street.
On arrival, officers found 19-year-old Keith Leverone, of Brockton, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
An investigation found that Teixeira was involved in a fight outside the store before the shooting. After the fight, Teixeira was seen arming himself with a handgun.
In 2012, he was convicted of first-degree murder by deliberate pre-meditation and was sentenced to life in prison.
His appeal to the SJC included ineffective assistance from trial counsel, jury instructions, and a claim of new evidence.
In a published decision, the SJC concluded there was no error, and affirmed the convictions.
