A little known fact within the Massachusetts criminal justice system, is the potential for any criminal defendant to be put on pretrial probation in lieu of criminal charges. You read that right, any potential defendant.The relevant statute reads as follows: The superior court, any district court and any juvenile court…
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the area of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) evidence collection, and the rammifications of the case are certain to have an impact on police departments everywhere. The case, Missouri v. McNeely, dealt with an ordinary…
The tragic bombings and related events surrounding the Boston Marathon were felt by us all in Boston and nationwide. My heart goes out to the victims affected by the violent acts.Following the capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is believed to be behind the attacks, many people have begun to debate…
Police are accusing a Boston area man of several crimes related to allegedly using a filed down key to gain entrance into a police bait car, and then removing several small items before being apprehended.At the arraignment last week, the client plead not guilty to the charges, which included: possession…
Massachusetts’ highest state court ruled last week that so called “social sharing” of marijuana is not a crime. The decision dealt with four separate cases that fell within the purview of a voter approved initiative which decriminalized possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. In one case, a man…
There have been multiple reports, and in fact even indictments of several employees of drug processing crime labs in Massachusetts in recent months. Additionally, two crime labs used by the state to process drug samples have been closed down until the allegations regarding the mishandling of evidence have been thoroughly…
According to an announcement by Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis, there has been a significant drop in crimes in Boston during the first quarter of the year. The Commissioner believes that this is due in large part to dedicated police work and inclement weather, which keeps people inside. According to…
Investigators from local, state, and federal authorities announced last week that they have made an arrest inconnection with an extensive criminal operation, which involved identity theft, high end electronics, and counterfeit money. The suspect was arrested last Thursday on the Boston Common after he allegedly attempted to purchase counterfeit money.…
A 64-year-old North Andover man, who is described by prosecutors as the, “overall boss” of a loan sharking and illegal gambling enterprise has been sentenced to up to four years in prison. Joseph Giallanella, who is also known as Jason Peters, was sentenced on Monday to serve time in stateprison…
Last month Boston Firefighter Kenneth Veiga, a 24 year veteran, was facing potential charges for threats he made against his department following a requirement that he see a predetermined physician in order to return from his paid leave. Veiga allegedly told his commander that he was thinking about smashing a…