Surpreme Judicial Court Justice, Associate Justice Margot Botsford, has requested that state’s highest court dismiss thousands of the drug convictions that Annie Dookhan had handled evidence for. Based on a petition filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Botsford submitted a five-page report, in which she also describes the…
Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Tips for being a Top DUI Trial Lawyer
One of the most important qualities of a successful trial attorney is the ability to present the client’s case in a manner that enables jurors to adopt the attorney’s arguments as the truth. But doing so requires more than mere persuasion. According to a recent article by prominent trial attorney…
Can Medical Reports be used in a Massachusetts OUI Trial?
An OUI trial in Massachusetts is governed by rules and laws that allow and prohibit certain statements, reports, and objects from admission into evidence. Once a statement or item is admitted into evidence, it may be considered by the judge or jury for the purposes of reaching a verdict. In…
John Goodman testifies in the retrial of his OUI Manslaughter trial
The owner of the International Polo Club Palm Beach, Mr. John Goodman, recently took the stand to testify in his own criminal trial on an OUI manslaughter charge in Florida. Goodman was operating his Bentley in 2010 when he collided with the 23 year old man Scott Wilson in his…
United States Supreme Court hears arguments on Fourth Amendment violations where police mistakenly conduct traffic stop
On October 6, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments from defense counsel, the North Carolina State Attorney General, and the U.S. Solicitor General regarding the matter of Heien v. North Carolina. The question initially posed before the Court was whether a traffic stop premised on an officer’s mistaken understanding of…
Attorney General appeals Illinois court decision to U.S. Supreme Court arguing traffic stop did not violate Fourth Amendment
Often times, what initially begins as a traffic stop for a civil offense (such as speeding) unexpectedly becomes an investigation into a criminal offense, ultimately leading to criminal charges. Under Fourth Amendment law, police officers conducting a traffic stop can investigate for criminal activity so long as the investigation was…
Ohio Supreme Court rules in favor of DUI defendant challenging breathalyzer
DUI defense attorneys in Ohio have recently won a substantial victory in the Ohio Supreme Court that will allow defendants to bring stronger challenges to the validity of breathalyzer tests. The Ohio court’s decision will require states to comply with discovery requests by the defendant, and produce critical data and…
First Degree Homicide conviction overturned in a Georgia Hit-and-Run case
Under state statute (G.L. c. 90 § 24), all drivers in Massachusetts have a legal obligation to stop and identify themselves whenever they know that their vehicle has collided with another vehicle, property, or a person. If the driver collides with another person, leaving them dead or unconscious, the driver…
Judge in Aaron Hernandez murder trial excludes evidence obtained from house search in violation of the Fourth Amendment
In a recent hearing before the Bristol County Superior Court, Judge Garsh ruled that she will not be allowing the prosecutor to introduce evidence obtained during a police house search in the murder trial of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez. According to a local news reporter, the judge explained that…
Appellate Court dismisses DUI charge where police violated Fourth Amendment rights
The right of against unreasonable seizures in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is invoked frequently in the context of traffic stops, where officers temporarily “seize” a driver and his vehicle for questioning. It is established law, however, that an officer is only authorized to stop a vehicle where…