Multiple charges often follow when someone is accused of a serious offense involving a fatal crash, each carrying its own penalties. However, the law does not allow prosecutors to stack overlapping charges for the same act. A recent decision from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court clarifies how courts must avoid imposing multiple punishments when offenses stem from the same event.
In a case decided in May 2025, the court considered whether a person convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal highway crash could also be punished for motor vehicle homicide and operating to endanger. The court ruled that the lower court erred by convicting the accused on all three counts, finding that the additional charges duplicated the involuntary manslaughter conviction. Those two lesser charges were vacated, while the manslaughter conviction and a separate conviction for driving without insurance were upheld.
This case is important for anyone facing multiple charges from a single incident. Prosecutors may file every possible charge during the early stages of a case, but not all of them can result in separate punishments. If you are charged with overlapping offenses, you may have legal grounds to challenge the sentence or the charges themselves.