Crime, itsel, is not particularly seasonal. It happens all the time in the Boston area. However, through my years as a Boston criminal defense attorney, I have noted that certain crimes seem to occur more often during certain seasons. Summer is a season where there is often a spike in certain crimes, for example.
The Rock star “Meatloaf” once began a hit song with the line, “On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?” After various lines seemingly meant to understand the original question, the answer was “Yes”.
The image of hot summer nights is often used to portray passonate and, often, violent, occurences.
This is not limited to music or fiction.
We often see what might otherwise be verbal arguments escalate into physical altercations. Maybe it is the heat that makes tempers more flammable. For example, on Saturday, I wrote about a woman who was shot by police after she allegedly assaulted them with a knife. This was, of course, after she had assaulted someone else at home with the knife. This ended tragically…the police shot and killed her.
This is also a story which may bear a closer look this week, by the way.
Meanwhile, two women died in an unrelated homicide in Lowell. This occurred within 24 hours of the previous stabbing this past Friday. It is still under investigation. While no death resulted, two brothers were stabbed outside a Boston club early Sunday morning. This resulted from a fight inside the club.
Such explosions of temper are not the only types of criminal matters which are typical of the summer. People like to go on drives and, often, these drives get them into a bit of trouble. Take, for example, the case of 35-year-old Jeffery K. (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) of Dartmouth. He now faces various charges, including leaving the scene after an accident causing bodily injury and child endangerment as a result of his summer night cruise.
Apparently, the Defendant crashed his SUV Thursday night, seriously injuring a 66-year-old New Bedford woman and then sped off. At the time, he had his 3-year old son in the car with him. While this matter is still under investigation, vehicular crimes, such as OUI, seem to be more prevalent during the summer. After all, what beats a summer night drive?
What beats a nice cool beer or ten at a relaxing cookout on a hot summer’s day?
Another crime that we see quite often in the summer is that of disorderly conduct. It was last summer, for example, that this crime (as subjective and based upon police officers’ opinions) reared its head in the news. I refer to the Professor Gates incident. During that debate, there was a great deal of media interest about the crime and how overplayed a card it might be for law enforcement. Then, we decided to call it a racial incident and so any question as to the statute itself disappeared from view.
But, I digress.
The point is that when the weather is nice, people go out. Sometimes tempers flare with the heat. Sometimes outdoor partying goes alittle too far.
And, yes, sometimes, police are even more on the lookout for certain crimes because of the season.
In any event, it is worthwhile to be even more diligent as to one’s temper, extent of “relaxation” and driving habits.
I have often told you how easy it is to get arrested these days. I have often described the nightmare such participation in the criminal justice system is.
Better to be even more aware of what you do; the police are likely to be.
Meanwhile, such arrests are going to happen.
If you find yourself in such a predicament and would like to consult with me regarding representing you , please feel free to give me a call at 617-492-3000 .
To view the original stories upon which today’s blog was based, please go to http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/07/two_brothers_st.html, http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/25/da_investigates_police_shooting_of_woman/?page=full, http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/?p1=Well_Local and http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/07/suspect_fled_wi.html