Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Often times, those charged with illegal possession of a firearm in Boston will be arrested when the police officer never saw them in possession of the firearm at all. When a suspect is arrested without actually being in possession of the firearm the prosecution will try to prove constructive possession.…

Julie Campanini recently published an excellent article in Lawyers USA offering a number of suggestions for improving trial skills. From her experiences during trials combined with years of speaking with jurors, she noticed that many lawyers tend to unknowingly act in ways which place them in a negative light for…

When facing an assault and battery charge in Massachusetts a defendant may face the more severe charge of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury if the evidence shows the assault caused a serious bodily injury. This turns the assault and battery from a misdemeanor to a felony and carries…

As a Brockton criminal defense lawyer, a question that arises in many cases is did the officer conduct a legal stop under the Fourth Amendment. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court just discussed this issue in the recent case of Commonwealth v. McKoy. In Commonwealth v. McKoy, two Brockton police officers…

A common question that frequently arises for a Boston criminal defense lawyer is: does a defendant have to be present at the scene of the drug transaction to be convicted of drug distribution? A Massachusetts court of appeals decision recently answered this question in Commonwealth v. Mgaresh. The court held…

As a Massachusetts OUI attorney, challenges to breath test and blood test evidence based on the 6th Amendment Confrontation must be made in each case as the law continues to evolve in this area. Cases from the United States Supreme Court continue to define the scope of the right of…

For those charged with reckless endangerment of a child in Massachusetts, it often involves defendants who have not personally subjected the child to danger, but have failed to protect a child from danger. The recent case of Commonwealth v. Figueroa was recently decided by the Massachusetts Appeals Court and answered…

The United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Bailey v. United States on February 19, 2013 holding that its precedent in Michigan v. Summers does not allow the police to seize an individual that has left the premise prior to a search. You can read the Bailey decision here.…

When a suspect is arrested, one of the main concerns for Massachusetts defense attorney is the power of the prosecutor who will be the person who decides what to charge a defendant with. This discretion of what to charge a suspect with gives prosecutors tremendous power in the legal system,…

OUI drug charges in Massachusetts are on the rise. What does the Commonwealth have to prove to secure a conviction? In prosecuting an OUI drugs case, the police report will typically look very similar to an arrest for OUI alcohol, with the officer administering field sobriety tests. What typically compels…