Since 2014, following a Supreme Court ruling, police have needed a warrant to search cell phones of criminal suspects. According to the justices, cell phones and other electronic devices belong to a different category than other “closed containers,” such as wallets and vehicles. When law enforcement officers have probable cause,…
Nobody wants to find themselves in court, but it can happen to the best of us. You may be required to appear in court to contest a simple traffic ticket, or for something more serious. In any case, it is in your best interest to convey to the judge that…
Driving on a suspended license is a crime in MA, but we understand that the decision to do so is often for very practical reasons. Maybe you had to pick up one of your kids, or drive to an interview. The decision to drive on a suspended license isn’t a…
People make mistakes. If a past mistake resulted in a criminal record, you may be worried about how it might affect your chances of getting a certain job. Some fields, especially those that involve working with children, are especially thorough when it comes to background checks. If you are considering…
In MA, if you are charged with certain criminal offenses, you may be eligible for something called a pre-trial diversion program. But what exactly does that mean? Well, in short, it’s a program that allows defendants with little to no criminal past to avoid the traditional criminal justice system. In…
In short, yes. But it’s not only the gun that matters, it’s the threat. If you threaten a person with physical harm, and the person reasonably believes that you may inflict that harm, that crime is known as “assault.” Whether you point a gun, a knife, or even a closed…
The United States Constitution holds that a citizen is presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, there are some exceptions. In Massachusetts, an individual accused of a crime can be detained in the county jail, before his trial, for up to 90 days if he is deemed a “dangerous person.” This…
Many states are now requiring the installation of interlock ignition devices (IIDs) for those convicted of OUI offenses (even first-time offenders). Massachusetts is one of them. But it was a Pennsylvania mom, Angela Daywalt, who recently made national headlines after using her young daughter to bypass the device while she…
In Massachusetts, if you damage, destroy, or vandalize another’s property, you may receive a criminal citation or charge for malicious damage. This type of property damage can include keying a car, graffiti, or even breaking things while involved in a domestic argument. The charge you may be facing following this…
Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed new legislation in 2014 dramatically changing the way domestic violence is penalized in MA. The new law, An Act Relative to Domestic Violence, created two new crimes: domestic assault and domestic assault and battery. A MA criminal defense attorney can help you determine how…