Massachusetts schools and law enforcement, like many across the country, are dealing with concerns of another school shooting. In the aftermath of the Connecticut mass murder, such concern is reasonable. Are overreactions based upon rumors understandable? Is it necessary? A couple of years ago, we had a very public tragedy…
Today’s Attorney Sam’s Take introduces a concept that law enforcement officials and I regularly discussed back when I was a prosecutor in Brooklyn, NY, hundreds of years ago. The concept is that of enacting a new statute proclaiming certain activities punishable as “felony stupidity”. It is, however a story which…
Whether it is gun possession, assault with a dangerous weapon (to wit: a firearm) or use of a gun in a drug trafficking case…the rules for Massachusetts gun charges are about to change.. The aftermath of last week’s tragic Connecticut shootings have brought the issue of gun-related crime to the…
The short answer, as any daily reader of Attorney Sam’s Take knows, is “of course he can”. All he has to do is be found guilty after a trial. He has accomplished that task. The next question, of course, is what the basis of the appeal will be. That is…
Well, it had to end sometime. Boston’s Dwayne Moore has been found guilty of various murder charges stemming back to the so-called “Mattapan Massacre” back in September, 2010. This was the case where Mr. Moore was accused of being a part of a drug-related robbery which ended up being a…
Part Two: The Search On Friday, we began the tale of two gents who went from routine Massachusetts traffic stop to a whole mess of legal trouble. You see, Blake Balway and Michael Scanlan (hereinafter, collectively, the “Defendants”) had been stopped while driving. Neither had valid driver’s licenses. Therefore, in…
Part One…The Stop Two gents who are currently guests of the Commonwealth might be questioning the advice of Attorney Sam’s Take about not trying to escape when pulled over by law enforcement. Even when your vehicle is loaded with contraband. I do stand by my advice, though. The two gents…
Are Massachusetts prosecutors no longer prosecuting illegal drug cases? There are some people in Massachusetts who seem to believe that their difficulties obtaining and using marijuana are about to become a thing of the past. They see the recent decriminalization of pot and actual legalization of medicinal marijuana to have…
My last Attorney Sam’s Take discussed two new cases. One involved a physician who has been indicted for receiving and possessing child pornography. While the charges in his case no doubt bring shock and horror to those who know him, it seems to be nothing out of the ordinary as…
Well, Tuesday’s Boston Herald was not exactly complimentary to the medical profession on Tuesday as far as criminal justice goes. At least two reports of sex offenses were reflected therein. Of course, that was not the only profession so tarnished. In fact, it would appear that the news is full…