The Massachusetts criminal defense team for Gary Lee Sampson is scheduled to appear in court on Monday to argue that their client should get a new trial. Sampson, who a federal judge sentenced to death in 2003 for the murder of three people, contends that his constitutional rights were violated…
The state Supreme Judicial Court will likely issue a ruling in the next few weeks on Christopher McCowen’s appeal to have his Massachusetts murder and rape convictions in the slaying of fashion writer Christa Worthington overturned. McCowen’s criminal defense team is arguing that it was wrong to allow the a…
The Boston Criminal Law Blog has had a fairly police-intensive week this week. We began with A police chase in which an officer accidently struck and killed a pedestrian (which, if we had done it would probably be treated as a homicide) and then with of law enforcement investigations and…
As expected, criminal justice history repeats itself in Massachusetts and its neighboring states. As discussed in earlier blogs, we have a new “Craigslist Robber” and our original “Craigslist Killer” has made the news again by robbing the Commonwealth of another high profile trial. He killed himself. As also discussed, armed…
September is a-coming. It would appear that it will soon be time, once again in Massachusetts, for those school-time hijinks like bullying, assault and vandalism. And police investigations. Well, it looks like some people just can’t wait. No, not a high school or college campus crime this time. The event…
Big happenings in the Boston area! A police investigation into a robbery with a gun! What could be more exciting than a big SWAT team operation? The Bad Guys are usually cornered and lives hang in the balance as the Good Guys take control and take whatever Bad Guys still…
Now, given my sardonic view on things, it would not surprise you to check out this once-again daily blog one day to find me describing a scene wherein somebody was speeding down the road and, having run down an innocent pedestrian, got out of his car and started pulling on…
Ok, here is the scene. You are visiting your old pal Donny Dealer in Boston. You, being a good ol’ “party animal”, brought a bit of marihuana so you guys can party. Donny was only too happy to party with you. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to you, there has been an investigation…
A Canadian teenager accused of sexually assaulting a boarding room classmate during a 2007 class trip to Boston has pleaded guilty to one count of Massachusetts assault and battery. Armin Ruzbie, 19, was one of four 11th grade students accused of entering the hotel room of the male victim, then…
The news to which we have referred a couple of times this week has remained in the news all week. Namely, Phillip Markoff, the alleged Craigslist Killer, apparently took his own life at the Nashua Street Jail in Boston. His attorney has expressed surprise and sadness and the local D.A.…