Recently, the New York Times Opinion Pages posted an article titled, “Why Police Lie Under Oath”. Police lying under oath is both surprising and dangerous. While the New York Times Article discusses the issue regarding drug cases, which is particularly current in light of the Massachusetts drug lab scandal, police…
Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court addresses when police are permitted to search a cell phone in making a drug arrest
One question that now frequently arises for Massachusetts criminal defense lawyers is: Can the police search your cell phone? A recent case gave an answer. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts recently addressed the question of whether an officer is able to search a defendant’s recent call list on his…
Searches in high crime areas: Are they Constitutional in Massachusetts
As a Boston criminal defense lawyer, defending drug cases, often the initial police seizure will be based on the defendant being in a high crime area. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has stated numerous times that being present in a high crime area or flight from the police is insufficient…
Analysis of oral argument in Bailey v. United States from Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer
The Supreme Court recently heard oral argument in Bailey v. United States on November 1st 2012. The predominant issue in Bailey is whether or not the precedent set forth in Michigan v. Summers, 452 U.S. 692 (1981), which allows an officer to detain an individual on the premises of a…
United States Supreme Court to address whether a warrant is required to obtain a blood sample from DUI suspect
As a Massachusetts DUI attorney, the issue of police officers unlawfully obtaining blood samples for persons suspected of driving intoxicated often comes up during defense. The act of not obtaining a warrant prior to obtaining a blood sample in routine DUI stops is a direct violation of the 4th amendment.…
Breath test results in Pennsylvania excluded from evidence based on challenge to the linear accuracy of the breath test machine
For Massachusetts OUI lawyers, the recent decision of the Pennsylvania Superior Court may be used to challenge the admissibility of breath test results in Massachusetts. In the recent case of Commonwealth v. Schildt, the defendant’s Attorney Justin McShane argued that the breath test machine was incapable of producing accurate and…
Communication tips for Massachusetts OUI lawyers from John Maxwell
As a Massachusetts OUI lawyer, when someone hires me to defend their OUI charge, my primary task is to find a way to communicate to the jury that they were not under the influence of alcohol, to find a theory that challenges the officer’s observations so that the jury returns…
New Mexico v. Herring may clarify law on waiver of Miranda rights for Massachusetts criminal attorneys
As a Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer, the issue surrounding Miranda rights often arises in felony and misdemeanor cases. Recently, in the case of New Mexico vs. Herring, a defendant successfully argued at appeal that they did not understand the Miranda rights read to them by a detective during a custodial…
Warrantless search of vehicle raises 4th amendment issues regarding the automobile exception to the search and seizure clause
As a Boston Criminal defense attorney, one of the most important factors I consider when deciding a defense for a criminal charge is whether the obtained evidence was found during a warrantless search. Evidence obtained during an unwarranted search is not usually admissible in a criminal trial. However, automobiles are…
Massachusetts OUI Checkpoints to be Plentiful New Year’s Eve
As Massachusetts revelers prepare to ring in the New Year, law enforcement agencies are gearing up for the launch of an aggressive effort to arrest drunk drivers. Massachusetts OUI lawyers are also prepared. We know that these blitzkrieg law enforcement attacks are often riddled with technical errors. Police tend to…