Articles Posted in Miscellaneous Crimes

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Withdrawing Guilty Pleas and Vacating Convictions

Nearly thirty years ago, when I first started practicing law it was rare to have a client ask me to help him withdraw a guilty plea. Case law in that area had not been well developed. Access to criminal convictions was limited. Deportation, denial of naturalization or exclusion from admission to this country was not what it is now. That has all changed dramatically in the past decade. Criminal history databases are much more sophisticated. Employers and the government can more easily find out that someone has a record. So now, many times each month I get inquiries from people in need of withdrawing guilty pleas and vacating convictions. Continue Reading

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If you had any involvement in a crime or even any knowledge of the circumstances of certain criminal activity the police could contact you. If they question you they are doing so for a reason. Someone may have told them that you were involved or that you have pertinent information. Or, aspects of their investigation might suggest to them you were involved or, at a minimum know what happened. If you had any role in a crime you should never talk to the cops. If you weren’t involved and don’t want to give information you can still keep quiet. However once you start talking you are at risk. You can get in trouble for lying to the cops. Big trouble.17 Continue Reading

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The Alibi Defense And How It Works

One of the best defenses to a criminal accusation is the alibi defense. This defense tells a jury or judge that you didn’t commit the crime with which you were for one very compelling reason…because you weren’t there. I have had countless clients come into my office and tell me that they have an alibi that they want me to advance it on their behalf. That request always triggers a very serious discussion about the alibi defense and how it works. And believe it or not, more times than not the client decides that perhaps the alibi is not his best defense. Continue Reading

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What is a lobby conference?

A very small percentage of criminal cases go to trial. Much of the pretrial criminal work is geared towards learning as much about the prosecution’s case as we can. Through the discovery process we understand the strengths and weaknesses of our own case as well. Extensive effort goes into position our clients for success either through motions or plea negotiations. Not all motions are successful however nor for that matter can all cases be negotiated to a favorable resolution. When a criminal case reaches that point a trial might be scheduled. Yet, prior to actually trying the case there is usually one last opportunity to resolve the case through judicial intervention. This is done with a lobby conference. This article answers a question asked by one of my clients a few days ago. “What is a lobby conference and how does it work?”. Continue Reading

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Most Massachusetts district courts hear criminal matters on a daily basis. There are many criminal cases however that never find their way into a courtroom. These cases get resolved before a clerk magistrate at what in known as a criminal clerk’s hearing. This is a proceeding to determine whether a complaint will issue. The process for issuing a criminal application is simple. Either a law enforcement official or a civilian file forms in the clerk’s office stating facts supporting what this person perceives to be a crime. The clerk’s office schedules a hearing date and notifies the parties by issuing a notice in the mail. This post discusses what happens at a hearing on an application for a criminal complaint in Massachusetts.

Application for a Criminal Complaint in Massachusetts

Application for a Criminal Complaint in Massachusetts

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Most criminal cases in Massachusetts are resolved without the need to go to trial. Cases get dismissed, evidence gets suppressed, people get pretrial probation and some people plead guilty to their criminal charges. The majority of cases resolved in the Massachusetts district courts are continued without a finding. In essence that means that the accused admits to sufficient facts, or pleads guilty to those facts that support the underlying criminal offense. The judge refuses to accept the admission or plea. Instead, the case gets continued for a period of time during which you are, for all practical purposes on probation. If you successfully complete the probation the case gets dismissed. At that point you can swear on job applications or elsewhere, and under the pains and penalties of perjury, that you have no criminal record. For most people this is a great result. For others it can be a disaster. This post addresses the question “will a continuance without a finding (cwof) affect a professional license?

Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorney

Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorney: Continuance Without a Finding

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One of the toughest decisions defendants in criminal cases have to make is whether or not to go to trial on their case. Some people have no choice. They have been charged with a crime where there is a minimum mandatory sentence as with drug trafficking cases and the district attorney refuses to break the case down. Or, perhaps the case is one that cannot be continued without a finding and a guilty finding will result in a loss of employment or the loss of a professional license. In those instances the decision is easy. Go to trial and hope for an acquittal. Most of the time however the decision is not that easy and the defendant has to weigh the pros and cons of going to trial. When my clients consult with me about this decision the one question they always ask “will  my sentence by worse if I go to trial and lose?”.

Massachusetts Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer

Massachusetts Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer

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It is the right of the district attorney and the defendant to call witnesses to testify at trial.  Most people dread the process.  They don’t want to get up before a jury, take an oath and testify against someone.  Others don’t want the inconvenience of sitting around a courthouse for hours, waiting to be called to the witness stand.  Some people are afraid that if they testify they might get in trouble themselves.  It is this last category of people who call my office asking me for help.  This post examines your rights and obligations when called to testify as a witness at a criminal trial in Massachusetts.   Continue Reading

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This past Saturday night in Hingham, Massachusetts the police broke up a house party. While doing so they arrested sixteen minors and one adult. The minors face charges of Minor in Possession of Alcohol and Disturbing the Peace. The homeowner is also being charged with a crime; Violating the Massachusetts Social Host Law. When the police responded to calls complaining about the party bear bottles were hurled at them. Backup officers were called and arrests were made. Several other youths fled into the woods and were not apprehended. The case is being prosecuted in the Hingham District Court.

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Hingham, Massachusetts Criminal Defense Law Firm

Lawyers Who Defend Social Host Violations in Massachusetts

While I am not sure exactly under which statute the homeowner is being prosecuted Massachusetts General Laws has criminal provision for people who provide alcohol to people under the age of twenty one. The law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138 Section 34 states that anyone who gives any alcoholic beverage to someone under the age of twenty one is guilty of a misdemeanor and can be sentenced by a fine of two thousand dollars and a one year jail sentence.

As a Massachusetts Criminal Lawyer I see these charges typically being filed this time of year. They stem from high school graduation parties. Most parents are not aware of the law and cannot foresee problems with permitting minors to drink alcohol at their homes on these occasions. Many adults reflect back to when they graduated from high school remembering how they celebrated that day. They figure there is no harm in passing along the tradition. They assume the graduates will act appropriately and the event will be a happy one that runs smoothly. In doing so they are unaware of several factors that can result in them being charged with a crime. The laws have changed. Since the drinking age was raised fewer high school students have access to alcohol. Beer has been passed over for vodka or other types of hard alcohol. It is easier to conceal. It also however leads to acute intoxication that can be hazardous to anyone, especially the inexperienced high school aged drinker. When the police get called to a house party where minors are consuming alcohol they cannot ignore what they see. Arrests are made, parents are called and criminal charges are filed. And now, the parents hosting the party get charged as well. This case is a perfect example of what happens in these circumstances. The minor drinkers could not control their behavior to the point where the police were called. To compound matters they threw bottles at the officers. Obviously this cannot be overlooked and the person who permitted them to do so is facing criminal charges in court.

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Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 276 Section 100C provides for Sealing Criminal Records in Massachusetts. The law states that anyone who has been acquitted by a judge or a jury or charged with a crime that was no billed by a grand jury or no probable cause was found by a judge warrants the sealing of such record. In such cases sealing is done automatically unless the accused makes clear in writing that he or she does not want the case sealed. If a case has been dismissed or if the district attorney files a nolle prosequi then a judge can order the matter sealed if substantial justice would best be served by sealing. If a case is sealed the accused can properly state that he or she has no criminal record.

Here are some things you should know about sealed records in Massachusetts. They are different from pardons. Someone who is pardoned still has an unsealed record in Massachusetts. Sealed records can in some cases be accessed by law enforcement entities. Sealed records are, in and of themselves records in some context. To many, particularly people involved in the Massachusetts Criminal Legal System, a sealed record suggests that the accused at one time faced a Massachusetts Sex Crime charge. Sealed Records in Massachusetts also signify, correctly or incorrectly that there was some wrongdoing on behalf of the accused. In other words, when records are sealed in Massachusetts they are still in existence, just unavailable to the public.

There is however an Expungement Law in Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6 Section 171 has a provision that requires the criminal history systems board to enact rules that assure the purging of records once ordered by a judge. Under Massachusetts common law courts can exercise a power to expunge records of criminal charges. To prevail on a Motion to Expunge in Massachusetts the applicant must show that the records sought to be expunged have minimal or no value to law enforcement. The action to expunge is brought against the keeper of the records for the entity holding the materials about which expungement is sought.

People who have had involvement with the criminal legal system in Massachusetts and are considering Sealing or Expungement should contact a Massachusetts Criminal Lawyer. The manner in which you proceed depends on several factors. What was your involvement in the activity? How was the case resolved? How is that impacting your life now? What do you do for work? What were the charges that you faced? How old were you when the incident occurred? Were you represented by a lawyer or did you represent yourself? Was the underlying matter a Drug Crime, a Sex Crime, a Violent Crime?

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