Carlos J. Lanns, a 24-year-old New Jersey gentleman (and hereinafter, the “Defendant”), flew to Boston Monday…and into the arms of the law. He now stands charged with a number of Massachusetts drug crimes. According to the Commonwealth, the Defendant arrived at Logan International Airport with 2.17 kilograms of cocaine, wrapped…
As this Boston criminal lawyer begins his 52nd year of life, I return to a question which has plagued the jury system since its onset. Namely, what should a jury hear? Many people believe, as we discussed in my last blog, that the rules which govern what evidence can get…
As a Boston criminal lawyer, I have seen many joint agency criminal investigations. Sometimes law enforcement is looking for gun possession or trafficking. Recently, there was a large inter-state operation regarding the creation and distribution of child pornography. The one we discuss today involves Massachusetts drug crimes. There has been…
32-year-old Michael Makiej of Amesbury (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) was in Newburyport District Court Monday. He has been charged with Massachusetts drug crimes and the drug at issue is marijuana. He maintains his innocence. The Defendant’s problems arose, as often is the case, when a criminal investigation began without his knowledge.…
Sometimes, as most police agencies know, things are not simply what they appear to be. Take the case of Louis Gersh (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) for example. The Defendant ran a second-hand store on Warren Street in Arlington. Little did he know, however, he had been under a Massachusetts criminal investigation…
This has been an upsetting week for Massachusetts law enforcement. Yesterday, we discussed how Boston’s prosecuting attorneys are upset with a particular judge. Now, law enforcement in general is upset with a ruling handed down by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The ruling primarily effects the Massachusetts search and seizure…
It should come as no surprise that law enforcement and safety personnel undergo Boston drug, and other, tests. The results are actually pretty impressive. Since the Menino administration launched random drug testing of Boston firefighters last fall, 57 percent of the Fire Department’s union members have been tested – and…
…And speaking about warning kids, there is the story about the party that has led a bunch of them to the mass arrest of 52 people Friday night. Impressingly, the kids were dressed up for the occasion. The party was themed “Business Hoes and Ceos”, and the kids were all…
It would appear that Fall River’s Shawn Drumgold, 45, (hereinafter the “Defendant”) has clutched defeat out of the jaws of victory. He was once wrongfully convicted of a 1988 Boston murder. He ended up being exonerated and released. He then even won a lawsuit, and a $14 million judgment for…
We haven’t talked about drug cases for awhile. As you know, possession of a small amount of marijuana has been decriminalized. However, that does not mean that having it is now problem free. Confused? Well, it depends on the circumstances in which you possessed it. For example, if there is…