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Julio Castillo and Johnston Jones are twenty four and twenty one years old respectively. They lived together on Prince Street in Salem, Massachusetts until their arrest this week. Now both are charged with Trafficking Heroin and a Drug Violation in a School Zone. Bail for Castillo is ten thousand dollars and five thousand dollars for Jones. According to reports Salem Police had been watching their home after numerous neighbors complained of constant foot traffic in the home. The police surveillance observed cars from all over the area driving up to the premises. Local drug users and people from other towns were also seen entering and exiting the property. The home was watched for about one month before police finally gained access. When the entered they confiscated thirty three grams of heroin, and various items of drug paraphernalia. Both men are now being prosecuted in the Salem District Court however this case will ultimately be handled in the Essex County Superior Court.

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Salem, Massachusetts Men Charged With Drug Trafficking After Police Enter Home And Seize Over 30 Grams Of Heroin

So what are these guys looking at if convicted? Trafficking Heroin Over Twenty Eight Grams in Massachusetts carries a mandatory minimum seven year sentence. The additional charge of Drug Violation in a School Zone carries an additional two years mandatory that must be served from and after the seven year sentence. In total, if convicted of these charges Jones and Castillo must serve nine years in state prison. So what should they do? Go and Hire and Experienced Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer. There are always defenses to criminal accusations. The police may have violated the defendant’s rights when they entered the home even if they had a search warrant. The location of the drugs in the home and the actions of the defendants weigh heavily on the potential defenses to these charges. Winning Drug Cases in Massachusetts is possible provided you have proper representation.

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A routine trip the doctor’s office turned fatal when a disgruntled patient stabbed his psychiatrist during a treatment session and then was shot and killed by an off duty security guard, Paul Langone. According to The Boston Globe, Dr. Astrid Desrosiers, a well respected and well known instructor of psychiatiry at Harvard Medical school, experienced what has been called a “psychiatrists worst nightmare” when patient, Jay Carciero of Reading Massachusetts, stabbed her during an office visit. It is believed that Carciero was being treated by Desrosiers on Staniford Street, where Massachusetts General Hospital leases space for its Bipolar Clinic and Research Program.

According to reports, Langone entered the area an ordered Carciero to drop his weapon. When Carciero refused, the guard shot him in the head. Carciero was pronounced dead at the Massachusetts General Hospital. At this time, it is believed that Langone was properly licensed to carry a gun in Massachusetts.

As the authorities continue to investigate the matter, Langone has been lauded as a hero. In Massachusetts, an individual is allowed to act in self defense or in defense of another. If evidence of self-defense or defense of another is presented, the Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in self-defense or in defense of another. For the jury to acquit a defendant when these types of defenses area raised the jury must have a reasonable doubt whether or not the defendant acted in self-defense or in defense of another. Although it does not appear that the security guard will be charged with a criminal offense in this case, defense of another would clearly be a viable defense under these circumstances.

Additionally, it is good that the security guard had a license to carry a firearm. The Massachusetts firearms laws are very strict and a conviction for illegal possession of a firearm carries a minimum mandatory sentence of eighteen months in prison. In the event that an individual is charged with possession of a loaded firearm, the potential penalties are even more severe and are imposed on and after the sentence for the underlying charge.

If you have been charged with a violent crime in Massachusetts or charged with illegal possession of a firearm you must have an experienced lawyer on your side. Depending on the circumstance, a motion to suppress evidence and or statements should be filed that may dispose of the case.

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Jorge De Souza Abrahao was arrested late last week after a woman complained that the Hudson, Massachusetts man raped her as she slept at her boyfriend’s apartment. The defendant is a relative of the victim’s boyfriend. The woman told police that she awoke to find Abrahao in bed with her, violating her as she slept. She pushed him off and called the police. The police obtained a search warrant for Abrahao’s apartment. He was later found at his place of employment in Framingham where he was arrested. Abrahao was Charged with Rape and held on five thousand dollars in the Marlborough District Court. The case will be presented to a grand jury for indictment and prosecution in the Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn.

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Massachusetts Man Charged With Raping Sleeping Woman

The nature of the alleged rape in this case is not detailed by this article. Rape in Massachusetts is committed when there is any non-consensual penetration of a woman’s vagina by a finger, mouth, penis or other object. It can also occur when a woman is forced to perform oral sex on the defendant. While reading this article I wonder what exactly did the woman say Abrahao was doing to her. How did he manage to enter her home and bed undetected and then engage in this act. I would think that if the facts of this case were as egregious as the article seems to indicate then a bail much higher than five thousand dollars would have been imposed. There are countless defenses to cases such as this one that an Experienced Massachusetts Rape Defense Lawyer can use to defend his client. Hopefully the defendant in this case has engaged that person.

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Officer Paul Torino just ended his shift and went to a local CVS in his street clothes. As he went in he brushed shoulders with Joshua Desrochers and the two exchanged words. According to reports Torino stated that he did not know that he bumped into Desrochers. Desrochers started swearing at Torino as the incident became more heated. Torino supposedly then identified himself as a police officer and told Desrochers to leave. He then reported that co-defendant Ryan Trant joined in, also swearing at the officer. Torino claimed that Desrochers then positioned himself in a fighting stance. Torino responded by pushing the defendant and calling for assistance. Trant then struck Torino with the side mirror of his SUV as he attempted to drive away. Torino leaned into the car and hung as the defendants attempted to flee. Desrochers then tried to punch Torino however Torino was able to block the blows and subdue Desrochers until backup arrived. Trant supposedly parked the car and went after Torino but he too was subdued by Torino and another officer. The defendants have been charged with Resisting Arrest, Assault and Battery and Disorderly Conduct in the Hingham District Court.

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Fight With Off Duty Police Officer Gets Two Massachusetts Men Charged With Assault And Battery

So what really happened here? Well, that is a matter for a jury or judge to decide but you might think this report is tough to swallow. Certain things simply do not add up here. How would Torino not know that he bumped into Desrochers? Why then after exchanging words would Desrochers get in a fighting stance? Did Torino then “just” push him? Did Torino really try to stop Trant and Desrochers from leaving and did Desrochers then get out of the car to attack Torino? Why if they were trying to leave the scene would they then get out to fight with Torino again? Jurors are often skeptical about the testimony of police officers, particuarly in situations that involve an assault on a police officer. Every time a client comes into my office after getting assaulted by a police officer it turns out that the client in fact gets charged with Assault and Battery on a Police Officer. Police officers take complaints for such charges against defendants whom they have beaten as a pre-emptive strike in situations where they, the officers have initiated the assaultive conduct. The district attorney in this case will fight not only to prosecute the defendants but to defend the actions of the police So both of these guys need an Excellent Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer who defends cases in Hingham to represent them in this case.

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In July of this year Richard Cushnie was arrested in by members of the Massachusetts State Police. He was charged with Trafficking Marijuana after police found more than one hundred fifty pounds in his truck. The estimated street value of the drug is about three hundred thousand dollars. Apparently the drugs were located after police stopped Cushnie’s truck and conducted a search of the vehicle. The article is not clear as to why the officers stopped Cushnie, a New Mexico native, and what their reason was for subsequently conducting the search. Cushnie is being charged with Trafficking Over 100 Pounds of Marijuana. The case has been indicted by a Middlesex County Grand Jury and is now pending in the Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn.

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New Mexico Man Charged With Marijuana Trafficking In Woburn Massachusetts Superior Court

Many questions come to mind when reading this article. Why did the police pull Cushnie’s truck over. Did they have some information relative to possible drug dealings? Were they tipped off to possible drug dealings involving this truck or the driver? Was this a routine traffic stop that escalated into something more? Was a bail set back in July when Cushnie was arrested? Did he post bail or has he been held for two and one half months? The defenses to Drug Cases in Massachusetts involving stops, searches and seizures of drugs in motor vehicles usually center on the legality of the stop. There are literally thousands of Massachusetts appellate cases that address Search and Seizure issues. Each case is fact specific and the distinction among what actions taken by law enforcement are legal and which ones are violative of someone’s constitutional rights are often times slight. This is why any in Richard Cushnie’s situation needs an Experienced Massachusetts Drug Trafficking Defense Lawyer like Stephen Neyman to fight his charges. Many times these cases can be won on constitutional grounds through motions to suppress or motions to dismiss.

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This past Tuesday undercover police officers responded to an advertisement on Craigslist suggesting that the author was offering Sex For a Fee. The solicitation was provided by Heather Robinson who stated that she would be available at a motel in Framingham, Massachusetts. Officers arranged to meet her at her motel. During the meeting Robinson would perform full service sexual acts for one hundred fifty dollars. Once the agreement was finalized Robinson was arrested. She has been charged with Prostitution in the Framingham District Court.

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Prostitution Charges Issue Against Woman Who Used Craigslist To Advertise For Sexual Services

So what will happen to Robinson? Well, assuming she has no prior criminal record and that she Hire an Experienced Massachusetts Criminal Lawyer she might be able to walk away from this case without a criminal record. A dismissal with court costs, pre-trial probation or a continuance without a finding are all possible dispositions in this case.

This case brings up an interesting question that is being litigated nationally these days. Is Craigslist responsible for creating a public nuisance or is it in violation of federal and state prostitution laws? Just yesterday in Illinois a federal judge dismissed a case being brought by the Cook County Sheriff complaining that Craigslist is a public nuisance and in violation of various laws pertaining to prostitution. The suit claimed in part that Craigslist “solicits for a prostitute…by arranging meetings of persons for purposes of prostitution.” Similar lawsuits in other states are being filed as well. Craigslist has responded by making changes to its advertising solutions.

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According to reports David Barry of Bridgewater, Massachusetts continually made telephone calls to a neighbor and the neighbor’s wife over a nine month period. The offenses started in October of last year and ended this past June. The victim complained that Barry would call late at night, saying his wife’s names and the word “die”. Barry is reportedly involved in youth sports in the town of Bridgewater. Charges of Criminal Harassment and Making Annoying Phone Calls were filed against Barry in the Brockton District Court.

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Bridgewater, Massachusetts Man Charged With Making Annoying Phone Calls, Harassment In Brockton

Criminal Harassment in Massachusetts is a crime pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265 Section 43A. The law states that anyone who “engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or series of acts over a period of time directed at a specific person, which seriously alarms that person and would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, shall be guilty of the crime of criminal harassment and shall be punished”. A first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to two and one half years in the house of correction. A second offense is a felony that carries a potential ten year state prison sentence. Making Annoying Phone Calls is also a misdemeanor but with much lighter consequences. A conviction for this crime, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 269 Section 14A carries a maximum three month jail sentence. More likely than not, assuming Barry has an Experienced Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer, he will walk away from these charges without a criminal record.

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Acting in an undercover capacity Salem, Massachusetts Police Detective Bill Jennings met forty six year old Lisa Anderson at her apartment posing as a potential client. Anderson had a website listing her services as an escort or companion. She greeted Jennings in a bra, thong and nylons. The two conversed and agreed on a price of two hundred dollars an hour for sex. Anderson was then arrested and charged with one count of Prostitution and one count of Using a Building for Prostitution. The case is being prosecuted in the Salem District Court.

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Massachusetts Woman Charged With Prostitution After Being Solicited By Undercover Officer

So what is Anderson looking at? Well, she is probable being charged under M.G.L. ch. 272 Section 53A making it a crime to engage in sex for a fee or to offer to do so. The maximum sentence is one year in the house of correction and/or a five hundred dollar fine. Using a Building for Prostitution is a crime pursuant to M.G.L. ch. 139 Section 4. The maximum sentence under that statute is three years in state prison, making this crime a felony. I would guess that if Anderson gets an Experienced Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer and if she has no record or an unremarkable criminal record the district attorney will agree to dismiss the felony and continue the Prostitution charge without a finding.

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K.M. Allen of Lynn, Massachusetts has been indicted by an Essex County grand jury on counts of Rape of a Child, Exhibiting a Child in a State of Nudity and Enticing a Child For Sexual Purposes. The defendant met the victim on MySpace. He represented himself to be a movie producer looking for women who he offered to pay. The victim is from Boston. It is alleged that she and Allen exchanged nude pictures over the internet. In July the two met in person and had sex with one another at Allen’s home. A search of Allen’s home revealed the photographs the victim sent Allen. A computer that was seized from his home is being analyzed by the prosecution. The case will be prosecuted in the Essex County Superior Court in Salem.

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Massachusetts Man Charged With Rape Of A Child After Internet Encounter Leads To Meeting For Sex

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265 Section 23 makes Statutory Rape a crime in Massachusetts. The law itself refers to the act as “Rape of a Child”. It states specifically that anyone who “unlawfully has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse, and abuses a child under 16 years of age, shall be punished”. The conviction carries with it a potential life sentence. Consent is not a defense to Rape of a Child, nor is ignorance of the victim’s actual age. In essence, the only defense to this charge is that the act never happened. These cases are not always easy to prove. The victim is not always the person who reports the rape. Many times it is a friend in whom she confided or a family member, particularly a parent who found out about the act by reading emails or text messages. The victim’s reluctance to testify or, in some instances her denial of the occurrence hinders the prosecution. Corroborative evidence eases the district attorney’s task in many respects. For instance, in this case the pictures, while not necessarily proof of rape are extremely damaging to the defense. They also serve as the basis for the prosecution of the other counts, a violation of M.G.L. c. 272 Section 29A. A conviction for this crime carries a minimum ten year state prison sentence. The severity of these charges suggests that Mr. Allen needs an Experienced Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer to defend this case.

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Joshua Medeiros and Kimberly Vasconcellos had been watched by police for several months after neighbors complained about suspicious activity at their Somerset, Massachusetts home. The officers set up surveillance and confirmed the neighbor’s complaints. They observed a pattern of cars pulling up to the home, someone entering the home and leaving after a short visit. Police also witnessed Medeiros meet with people just a short walk from the home and behind a neighboring school. They were able to set up a successful “controlled buy” with the help of an informant. With that information a search warrant was authorized. The search of the property yielded heroin, marijuana, marijuana plants and assorted drug possession and distribution paraphernalia. The couple has been charged with Conspiracy, Possession With Intent to Distribute Heroin and Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Violation of the Massachusetts School Zone laws. Charges are now pending in the Fall River District Court.

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Search of Home in Somerset Leads Cops To Pot Plants, Drug Paraphernalia, Massachusetts Couple Charged

So what happens to Medeiros and Vasconcellos now? As with most drug cases the initial focus of the defense will be on the validity of the search warrant. There will likely be a challenge to the issuance of the warrant based on either the absence of probable cause in the supporting affidavit or the integrity of the facts stated in the supporting affidavit. If the challenge is unsuccessful the defense then might center on the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the charges against one or both defendants. Factors to consider are the relationship between the defendants, the location of the drugs found in the home, the defendant’s habits as drug users, if any and more.

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