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…
Last May, the Massachusetts Legislature passed an important piece of legislation regarding veterans’ rights, which has important implications for veterans facing criminal charges. The complete formal title, “An Act Relative to Veterans’Access, Livelihood, Opportunity and Resources,” and is also commonly referred to as the Valor Act. Among the various provisions…
It was recently reported that a new anti-crime task force will be established in western Massachusetts. Government officials hope that the group will lead to more efficient coordination of investigation into major crimes. David Sullivan, the Northwestern District Attorney, discussed his hopes for the task force, which include enhancing the…
According to data recently released by Massachusetts and the FBI, gun crimes of all kinds are up, these include: Murders committed with firearms Aggravated assaults involving guns Robberies involving guns; and Gunshot injuries Gun owner advocacy groups point to this data as evidence of the lack of efficacy of gun…
Massachusetts government and law enforcement officials have introduced proposals in the hopes of expanding the limits of secret wiretapping. The reasoning behind the expansion is the purported goal of more easily gathering evidence against criminal suspects, such as with drug crimes. According to state Attorney General Martha Coakley, the current…