The use of Breathalyzer test instruments has become an increasingly regular routine in the United States, as they allow police officers to make roadside determinations of intoxication. The results from roadside administered breath testing machines provides evidence of the accused’s blood alcohol content, which is enough to constitute an arrest…
Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Massachusetts Sees Rise in Sex Crimes Arrests in 2012
In the wake of the Penn State/Sandusky scandal, a Taunton High School teacher has been accused of having sex with two female students. Patrick Doyle, a history teacher, now faces charges of statutory rape and aggravated statutory rape of a child. NECN reports that the Doyle was indicted on twelve…
Downtown Boston Stabbing of 4 Witnesses Prompts Judge to Postpone Trial
Many Boston area residents, workers, students and tourists were interrupted on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 when four people were stabbed on busy, downtown Beacon Street. The area, known as a local hotspot, became an area of chaos and confusion when four people were stabbed just after lunchtime across the street…
Massachusetts Harassment Laws Impact Plymouth County Local Government
A Boston Globe article reports that the recently enacted Massachusetts harassment laws have led state officials to place Kingston Town Administrator, Jim Thomas, on administrative leave. The board, acting on the advice of town counsel Jay Talerman, made this decision after Thomas was allegedly heard making threats to Selectwoman Susan…
Assualt Charges Leveled Against Massachusetts Police Chief
Waltham, Massachusetts lawman Thomas M. LaCroix, the city’s chief police officer, was arraigned in Concord District Court on two charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and threats charges and was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing in court set for this Tuesday. LaCroix is accused…
The Constitutionality of Roadblocks and Sobriety Checkpoints in Massachusetts
One of the most common ways for Massachusetts State Police to charge drivers with Operating Under the Influence (OUI) is through the use of roadblocks and sobriety checkpoints. The purpose of a sobriety checkpoint as defined by the Massachusetts legislature is to “further educate the motoring public and strengthen the…
Massachusetts Police Officials Tap into Social Networking Sites to Catch Criminals
As evidenced by recent news coverage, high school college student crime is significant and is an evolving and expanding area of the law. With the advent of social networking sites such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube, etc., issues involving high school and college students have become widely publicized and come under…
Don’t Let an Old Massachusetts Default Warrant Ruin Your Summer
I see it all too often. A person has an unresolved criminal case or probation matter and they forget or fail to come to court or visit with their probation officer when told to. Sometimes people get into trouble at different points in their lives when they abused alcohol or…
Massachusetts Safe Driving Act Attempts to Police the Use of Mobile Phones while Driving to Combat the Rising Number of Fatal Accidents
Eighteen-year-old Aaron Deveau is the first Massachusetts resident to be charged with texting while operating a motor vehicle negligently and causing injury. Deveau is also charged with one count of vehicular homicide. If convicted of both charges, the Haverhill teen faces up to four and half years in jail. Authorities…
The Errors of Roadside Breath Tests May Have a Positive Impact on the Defense of your OUI case
Over 80% of OUI cases heard by a Massachusetts Judge and 50% of OUI cases in a jury trial are dismissed. This high rate of acquittals led the Boston Globe to launch a spotlight investigation on the matter in December of 2011. The findings of the final report show that…