Fingerprint Evidence It is common for client’s to ask me about fingerprint evidence. I am often asked the following questions: Will the prosecution test evidence for fingerprints? What if my prints are on the item? Should we get out own fingerprint expert? Will it help if my prints are not…
Larceny by False Pretenses Larceny over $250 by false pretenses is a felony in Massachusetts under G.L. c. 266 Section 34. The law simply states that “[w]hoever, with intent to defraud and by a false pretense, induces another to part with property of any kind or with any of the…
Larceny and Shoplifting Cases I cannot even begin to put a number to the amount of calls I get from people bullied by store security personnel into confessing to crimes they did not commit. The scenario is always the same. Either a patron or an employee of a store (usually…
Clerk Magistrate Hearing Over the years I have repeated my strong belief that you need a lawyer at any criminal proceeding in Massachusetts courts. Recently this sentiment became apparent to one of my clients who questioned the need for legal representation at a clerk magistrate hearing. He really thought that…
Finding The Right Criminal Defense Attorney For most people, being charged with a crime is an unnerving experience. The first thing someone might do is get on the Internet and research the statute under which he has been charged. This is a really bad idea. You will look at the…
Defending College Students Charged With Shoplifting One of the most common criminal charges college students face, particularly in Massachusetts is the crime of shoplifting. The courts in Boston see a significant number of these cases. The last thing a college student can afford is having a criminal record so effective,…
How Can I Get a Larceny Case Dismissed? Larceny cases fall into two general categories in Massachusetts. Larceny under two hundred fifty dollars is a misdemeanor. Larceny over two hundred fifty dollars is a felony. The former is punishable by up to one year in the county house of corrections…
Prosecuted For Bouncing A Check Forty-nine out of the fifty United States have laws making writing a bad check a crime. The crime is known as larceny by check. The Massachusetts law prohibiting this conduct is G.L. c. 266 Section 37. That statute makes it a crime to write or…
An article in today’s Salem News discusses a scheme used by local retail store employees to obtain goods without having to pay for them. Apparently five employees used portable scanning devices issued by the store to ring up sales for fellow employees. Some of the items would be voided out…
Over the years I have defended several cases involving the possession of or passing of counterfeit bills or money. Some of these cases were prosecuted in the district court and others in superior court. Interestingly enough, some of the more serious cases were prosecuted in the district court and vice…