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During the summer time, when the kids are finally out of school,  many families take the opportunity to spend time together at amusement parks together. One very popular local family fun destination is Canobie Lake Park, located in Salem, New Hampshire. Canobie has a reputation as a safe place where families can indulge in the thrills of roller coasters, enjoy some live entertainment and play carnival-style games.Lawrence Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer Continue Reading

Reading today’s Brockton Enterprise an article about certain Massachusetts drug crimes caught my eye. Three people, Jose, Evangelina and Kyle Rocha of Taunton were arrested after police charged them with secreting drugs in a condom and placing it in a housing complex where a prisoner on work detail was supposed to be cleaning. Police saw the suspects enter the housing development, enter a building and exit shortly thereafter. The officers searched a bathroom in that building and found the drugs. All three defendants have been charged with possession of drugs, drug conspiracy and conspiracy to deliver drugs to a prisoner. This article examines what happens if you smuggle drugs into a Massachusetts prison.

Smuggling Drugs in Condoms Attorney

Smuggling Drugs in Condoms Attorney

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Everyone knows that it is a violation of your constitutional rights to be stopped without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Both the federal and Massachusetts constitutions give us that protection. So the thought process of many teenagers and young adults is simple. As long as I am following the rules, staying within the speed limit, obeying all traffic signals and driving safely I won’t get pulled over. Right? Guess again. That is completely wrong. Cops pull teenage drivers over in Massachusetts without probable cause countless times each day. This post examines why cops do this and how you, the young driver can avoid getting pulled over for no apparent reason.

Fighting Illegal Stops in Massachusetts

Fighting Illegal Stops in Massachusetts

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A twenty-one year old man faces serious assault and battery charges on the three-year child of his girlfriend.  According to the Salem News, Christopher Declid pleaded not guilty in the Salem District Court to a charge of domestic assault and battery causing serious bodily injury after Declid’s sister called the police to report abuse. The police responded to an Extended Stay America in Danvers midafternoon and found the child alone in the corner on a mattress.  Apparently, the other family members went out and the child was left behind because he was “bad.”  Declid and his girlfriend, mother of the child, both face child abandonment charges.Assault and Battery Defense Lawyer Continue Reading

I have a large number of clients who got to me through my website and one of my blogs. All of these properties make reference to remaining silent. I have posted countless times about the dangers of meeting with the police without having consulted with a lawyer. I have posted about this in social media. Every day I read at least one Google Plus post about someone who decided to meet with the cops rather than consult with a lawyer. Every time I read about this or hear about it one thing sticks out. The person who talked to the cops got charged with a crime and never would have had he remained silent. And again today, someone called me telling me that the police called them asking “me to go to the station to tell my side of the story”. My advise was simple don’t do it.

Nothing Good Comes From Talking To The Cops

Nothing Good Comes From Talking To The Cops

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Several public parks located in Haverhill have recently experienced a rash of sex crimes. There have been reports to local police that men in the Winnekenni and Monument Square parks are acting strangely, even making unsolicited sexual advances towards park-goers. Such suspicious behavior prompted local police to conduct an undercover operation in the parks to learn more about what was going on.SEX_CRIMES1_orange_300 Continue Reading

Most misdemeanors and some felonies are initially addressed in a clerk magistrate hearing. These proceedings are initiated through applications for complaints made to the criminal clerk’s office either by a civilian ore a police officer. The clerk’s office then issues a summons to the defendant indicating the charges being applied for and a date and time for a hearing. At this hearing the complaining party states his or her case against the accused. The person presenting the evidence can be a civilian or a police officer. The defendant can, if he wishes present a defense. The clerk magistrate hears the evidence and decides whether or not probable cause exists to believe that a crime was committed and the accused is the person who committed the crime. If probable cause is found a complaint can issue. Most people who receive a criminal complaint application know this. So I am always baffled when people call and ask me if they need a lawyer for a clerk magistrate hearing.

Massachusetts Criminal Complaint Application

Massachusetts Criminal Complaint Application

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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 so it would look like the employee was paying for one item when in fact the items voided out would be taken as well. Improper refund credits were applied to gift cards and the defendant’s personal credit cards as well. The gift cards were then used at the store to make purchases. It appears that the defendants were charged with larceny over $250, a felony in Massachusetts.camera Continue Reading

Shoplifting happens all the time in retail stores near and around North Andover. In fact, in 2011 shoplifting was the second most common arrest, with a total of 138 shoplifting-related arrests, and most of those arrests relating to shoplifting incidents that took place at the North Andover Mall. Females are more likely to engage in shoplifting. When shoplifting happens, sometimes the accused are actually guilty, while other times there has been a mistake or some sort of confusion and no actual theft has occurred. Regardless, if you have been charged with the crime of shoplifting, you need the support and knowledge that an experienced shoplifting defense attorney can provide.Massachusetts Shoplifting Defense Attorney Continue Reading

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 versa. Initially, very few of my clients knew the severity of these charges. Most of them thought it was no big deal until I told them a little bit about the counterfeit money statutes in Massachusetts. Then they panicked. So, just how serious is possession of counterfeit money in Massachusetts? This post examines that question.

Counterfeit Money Possession Defense

Counterfeit Money Possession Defense

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