Get three criminal convictions against you for a variety of violent crimes, and you’re out of luck. You will lose your chance for parole. That’s the key message behind the tough-on-crime “three strikes” bill that the Massachusetts House voted in favor of this week. This crackdown bill basically eliminates the…
In a stunning reversal of the way that things have been done in our legal system in the past, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court now has two words for defendants who “claim” to be indigent, and need a free, court-appointed lawyer: “Prove it.” That’s right. You see, prior to this…
As a Boston criminal defense attorney, I want to again say upfront that all persons are innocent until proven guilty. Still, it is always surprising when a lawmaker is charged with assault, because the court of public opinion always seems to assume that he is guilty. This past week Carlos…
Should the world know about all the shenanigans and unethical behavior involving James “Whitey” Bulger and the government? That is the question that was just brought to US Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler last week in Boston. Bulger’s lawyers want to be able to speak publicly about the documents that the…
We hope the our readers are having a safe and happy Fourth of July. While this is a great time of year with a lot of celebrations, unfortunately a lot of arrests also happen over this holiday. So with that reality in the background, read on! Of course no one…
It’s the world’s oldest profession – and by the looks of things, the perpetrators – and victims — of prostitution are getting younger and younger. Recently, police in three Massachusetts communities arrested three alleged pimps and 11 other people suspected of Massachusetts prostitution crimes. According to authorities, the arrests also…
To be charged with rape at all is a devastating criminal charge. But things have gotten a lot worse for a Taunton High School teacher, for whom things have gone from bad to really, really bad. Patrick Doyle, a 33 year-old teacher at Taunton High School, had already been charged…
It made headlines today in The Boston Globe and countless other newspapers across the U.S.: The United States Supreme Court, in a divided decision, struck down mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles who are, or were, convicted of murder. The court ruled that such sentencing statutes violate the ban against “Cruel…
If you’ve ever wondered just how easy it is to get yourself arrested, and might need the services of a Norfolk County criminal defense attorney, wonder no more. This past week, a 26-year-old man was arrested, for allegedly throwing hot McDonald’s French fries at his young stepdaughter. The alleged incident…
As a Norfolk County drug crimes attorney, I know and understand how serious the law is when it comes to Massachusetts drug crimes. Drug offenses, after Massachusetts DUI offenses, are some of the most common criminal charges prosecuted in our state. Judges and prosecutors do not take these cases lightly…