Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Mandatory Minimum Sentences May Be On The Way Out

Just two days ago an article on masslive.com revealed a bold and hopefully accurate prediction by Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants . . . that mandatory minimum sentences will be repealed. A decade or two ago a majority of the Massachusetts criminal defense bar could not imagine this would ever become a real discussion. However, less than three years ago mandatory minimum sentences for some drug crimes were reduced and the threshold weight of drugs for certain trafficking offenses was increased. Perhaps the legislature now understands what Justice Gants’ means when he stated that abolishing these types of sentences “makes fiscal sense, justice sense, policy sense and common sense”. Continue Reading

Drug Ring and Attempted Murder Arrest in Boston

Sometimes crimes can seem like something out of a movie or television drama once all of the facts surrounding the case come to light. A recent incident involving a Massachusetts high school dean and his alleged involvement in a drug ring rises to a level of Hollywood drama worthy of an Emmy nomination. Continue Reading

Texting and Driving in Massachusetts

Recently my office has seen a rash of criminal cases originating when the operator of a motor vehicle is stopped for suspicion of texting while driving. The newly enacted law, G.L. c. 90 Section 13B states that anyone caught sending or reading an electronic message while driving will be fined. Fines range from one hundred dollars for a first offense to two hundred fifty dollars for a second offense and to five hundred dollars for a third and all subsequent offenses. Unlike an OUI case, operation for this statute does not include texting while a vehicle is stationary. The police are jumping on this law as justification for stopping people they suspect are up to something other than simply texting. The stops are resulting OUI complaints and various Massachusetts drug crimes charges. Luckily, the law against texting and driving in Massachusetts is one that is difficult to prove and a large majority of these stops will be suppressed. Continue Reading

Getting A Heroin Conspiracy and Possession Case Dismissed

Heroin has become the most problematic drug for prosecutors to deal with in Massachusetts. The number of heroin possession arrests builds everyday. No community is immune. From the most impoverished cities to the most affluent suburbs heroin use and addiction to the drug has run rampant. There is however a lack of consistency in the resolution of these cases from court to court in the Commonwealth. Getting a heroin conspiracy and possession case dismissed can be routine and easy for your lawyer in some courts and an extremely arduous endeavor in others. This post examines how some courts handle these cases and what you should expect from your lawyer if you are charged with a heroin related drug crime in Massachusetts. Continue Reading

Criminal Records and Prospective Employment

If you have a criminal record, it can add a layer of complication to your life when it comes to getting a job. Getting arrested and convicted for a violent crime or a drug crime could have a lingering effect on your career. Under Massachusetts state law, employers are not permitted to ask you about any criminal convictions you have had in the first stage of the application process. This means that on an initial job application, prospective employers may not inquire about your criminal record. However, once you have successfully made it to the interview stage, more information about your criminal past might come out into the open. This post examines criminal records and prospective employment.  Continue Reading