In Massachusetts, public intoxication is not a crime, but other alcohol-related issues may be. For example, if police are called because a “drunk man” is wandering around a residential neighborhood, the man will likely be assisted home, or into protective custody until he sobers up. However, if that same man…
A recent report issued by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety titled “Unlicensed to Kill” focuses on unlicensed drivers on America’s roadways. According to the report, approximately one out of every five fatal vehicle crashes involves an unlicensed driver, or a driver whose license is in question by law enforcement.…
Shoplifting may sound like a minor charge, but a criminal record is never a laughing matter. It can come back to haunt you for years, affecting your ability to get certain jobs, find housing, or obtain custody of your children. A shoplifting conviction can even destroy your credit and bank…
If you can’t afford bail, what do you do? Well, the short answer is, you stay in jail. But there are limits on the amount of bail a court can impose on an individual, based on unique circumstances of that case. If bail seems disproportionately high, a skilled defense attorney…
In Massachusetts a 209A order is a type of protective order, also known as a restraining order, intended to protect a person from abuse by a family or household member, or from someone with whom they’ve had an intimate relationship. It differs slightly from a restraining order in that it…
Criminal conspiracy is a plan made by two or more people to commit a criminal act, so long as the people involved agreed to commit the act and took action toward its completion. The act itself need not be a crime if those involved intended to break the law. Consider…
Background checks are widely used by employers during the pre-employment screening process in Massachusetts and across the country. Depending on the type of background check used, it can show everything from the level of education you’ve attained to whether or not you make your car payment on time each month. Information…
In Massachusetts, getting charged with a firearms or weapons offense is serious business. MA is exceedingly tough when it comes to gun laws. This is for obvious reasons; misuse of guns can quickly and easily lead to serious injuries and death. If you have been charged with any type of…
A wrongful act that is punishable by law is called a crime. Although types and frequency of crime vary widely from place to place, nationwide statistics provide a clearer picture of which criminal offenses are most common in the United States. According to the most recent FBI report, the six…
If you had a few drinks, you shouldn’t have gotten behind the wheel…but you did. Now you see blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror. What do you do? The good news is, you were stopped before anyone was seriously injured. The bad news is, you may be charged with…