Illegal Weapons Possession

January 19, 2010

The Search And Seizure Of A Marblehead Drug Suspect (Part One)

While the rest of us were celebrating freedoms that are the legacy of heroes like the late Dr. Martin Luther King yesterday, one gentleman from the North of Boston was adjusting to the trade of his need of a defense attorney for a ten year term of imprisonment in Massachusetts prison.

Of course, he has already served approximately six of those years awaiting trial.

Geraldo S., 32, of Marblehead (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) was found to be in possession of a kilo of cocaine after a traffic stop in 2004. On Friday, he pled guilty to the reduced charge of trafficking over 100 grams of cocaine . This was the result of a plea bargain with the prosecution. Had a deal not been struck, the court would have had no choice but to sentence him to at least fifteen years in the event of a conviction.

Key to the plea bargain was a confession made to law enforcement.

The Defendant’s most recent criminal justice woes were the result of an investigation by the Marblehead police. Part of the investigation involved the fact that, apparently, the Defendant was known by several different names.
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November 24, 2009

Boston-Born Shooting Victim Becomes Homicide Casualty Of Street Crime

by Altman & Altman

There is a tragic scene taking place in north of Boston city of Lynn. It is playing out on the Victim side of the criminal justice equation. It will also likely mean bad news for a particular assailant when it is time for arrest and attorney- life without parole type of bad news.

The family of Vincent G., a 30-year-old man (hereinafter, the “Victim”), faced with determinations of his being brain dead since being shot in the head Sunday morning are planning to remove him from life support.

About the shooting-turned homicide we know only a part. Apparently, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, the Victim was shot once in the head outside Soriano’s nightclub in Lynn. His fiancée who was at the scene is said to desperately tried to keep him alive at the scene, giving him CPR as he slowly slipped away in her arms.

The Victim was taken by ambulance to Salem Hospital and then air-lifted to Boston Medical Center.

Originally, the family had hope that the Victim would survive, clinging to promising signs of his occasional blinking or coughing.

“We thought he was going to make it, but he’s brain dead,” explains a family member. “The bullet is still there in his brain and they can’t get it out because his brain is so swollen. So his mom asked us to say our last prayers because she decided to pull the plug.”
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November 9, 2009

Boston-Area Assault In “College Town” Area Is Murder

by Altman & Altman

Today’s Boston Globe tells us the tale of Corey P., 23of Dorchester (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) who now needs a good criminal defense attorney fast. He is charged in connection with a homicide in which a 24-year-old man was stabbed to death yesterday in Brighton, according to police.

This was an area where many students dwell. An officer patrolling near Brighton and Harvard avenues found the stabbing victim about 2:16 a.m. in front of a store on Brighton Avenue, according to police. The officer called for help and began to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the unconscious man. The victim was then taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he apparently died.

23 minutes after the stabbing, Boston police officers arrested the Defendant. You might think that he was arrested for actually performing the violent knife-weilding which resulted in the death.

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October 8, 2009

Massachusetts Man Arrested For Murder Loses Privacy Rights

by Altman & Altman

Aaron C., 30, of Attleboro (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) may be a bit angry today. As I write this, he may even be on the phone calling his attorney to look into suing the authorities for invading his privacy.

It appears that he was making a telephone call and the authorities listened to the conversation…and then they arrested him.

Well, perhaps the surrounding circumstances are worth noting. He was in a police station in Providence Rhode Island at the time. He was being questioned about the murder for which he was thereafter arrested.

You see, the Defendant has been accused of shooting and killing a 67 year-old woman in her Attleboro home.
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October 1, 2009

Arrested On Drug And Gun Charges, The Defendant Tries The “Self-Help” Approach To Criminal Justrice

by Altman & Altman

Kareem T, 28 (hereinafter the “Defendant”), was happy when Monday rolled around this week. After spending the week in custody, the Framingham man got to see his defense attorney and was returned to the free world…if $10,000 can be considered “free”, that is.

Last week was a bad one for the Defendant in the first place. First of all, he was arrested earlier in the week on drug charges. Then, three days later, on Friday, new allegations were broughtagainst him.

At 8:30 p.m., police received several 911 calls about a man pointing a gun at a person in a car at Jefferson Terrace. The police came to investigate, but found that the alleged victim had driven drove off and the suspect had walked away. However, bystanders gave police a detailed description of the suspect.

The officers converged on the area.

One of the officers saw two men walking, one of which had matched the suspect’s description. The officer is said to have yelled out, “Framingham Police, I want to talk to you”. One of the men walked toward the officer, while the other turn, looked at the officer and then ran away.

And so the chase began.
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September 29, 2009

Theft Of Hot Dog Leads To Armed Robbery Charges And Plea Hearing

by Altman & Altman

Yesterday, as you may know, was the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. It is known as a day of atonement and many Jews, including this one, fast during the holiday. Perhaps it was because of the day’s lack of food that brought my attention to this particular news story.

Antonio J., 35, of Worcester (hereinafter, the “Defendant”), was apparently quite hungry on August 12, 2009. It was, after all, about 6:45pm, which is around dinner time.

The Defendant happened upon a man who was sitting under a tree eating hot dogs in the park. According to the police, the Defendant mumbled something incoherent to the man. He then made his desire known. “Eat that other dog?” the Defendant asked.

“Yes,” the man replied.

“I’m going to eat it,” the Defendant corrected him as he lifted up his shirt and revealed what appeared to be a handgun.
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September 23, 2009

High Bail Set ForHome Invaision Defendant Facing Assault, Kidnapping and Driving Charges In Two States

by Altman & Altman

John K.,27, of Malden (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) is going to have to come up with a lot of money if he wants to go home…unless his lawyer puts in for a bail appeal. Last week, the Taunton District Court judge ordered that be held on $500,000 bail on charges stemming from a Rehoboth home invasion last week.

The Defendant is charged with a collection of charges, including home invasion, assault with a dangerous weapon, armed kidnapping, unlicensed possession of a firearm and masked robbery with a firearm a bit over a week ago in Taunton.

While the details of the incident have been sealed by Judge Richard Savignano, an unusual move in itself, the police have disclosed some information. They claim that the Defendant broke into a home . on Friday at about, bound and robbed a female resident at gunpoint and then drove off in her car.

Rehoboth Police Chief Stephen Enos said the incident appeared to be a random crime. Apparently, however, the spree did not end there.
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September 15, 2009

Apologetic Knife-Wielding New Yorker Arrested For Assault With A Dangerous Weapon

by Altman & Altman

You know, sometimes it just does not pay to have a conscience! I mean, some Commonwealths just cannot accept an apology without forcing you to get a lawyer.

Take, for example, the case of 31-year-old Juan C., a New York gentleman (hereinafter, the “Defendant”). Saturday night, he was in Lowell when he had a…disagreement with a gas station clerk. Well, it became a bit of a heated disagreement.

Okay, he allegedly pulled a knife and threatened the clerk with it.

Well, ok, that does not look so good I admit. However, the Defendant actually returned to the gas station on Sunday to apologize for his behavior.

The clerk had an interesting way of showing forgiveness…he called the police.
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September 11, 2009

Arrested For Armed Robbery Outside Boston, The Accused Has No Gun

by Altman & Altman

23-year-old Michael R, (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) had a bad time of it in Cambridge last night. According to the Commonwealth, he was involved in a robbery, before which he fired his gun off. It was an interesting approach, for which he has earned his place in the Boston-area blog and a lawyer.

Of course, law enforcement does not look too kindly upon armed robbers. Even when the treasure sought is so irresistibly valuable as in this case ( an IPhone). They tend to be even less accepting of them when their weapon of choice is a gun and that gun goes off.

The complainant, a 21-year-old Cambridge man, is said to have been drafting a text message on his IPhone when the Defendant approached him from the opposite side of the street. According to the complainant, the Defendant demanded the IPhone.

When the complainant refused to hand over his phone, the Defendant apparently crossed back over to the other side of the street, all the while screaming expletives, The complainant says he then heard two loud bangs, which he believed to be gunshots.
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September 10, 2009

Attorney Sam’s Take: Can The Beatles Get You Arrested For Domestic Violence Or Other Crimes?

by Altman & Altman

First of all, allow me to establish that I am an ardent Beatles fan. Second, let me confess that I have been imbedded in the criminal justice system for about a quarter of a century. As such, there is a certain type of “ear” that I have developed over the years to pick up criminal-justice-related tidbits.

Yesterday, there was a lot of Beatles activity…pretty impressive given that the band disbanded almost 50 years ago. Topping the list of newly released items were a video game and a box set of all the original releases on remastered cds packaged together with video “mini-documentaries”. Naturally, I played the part of consumer. Then, as I contemplated the weekly “Attorney Sam” feature of this daily blog, some of the Beatles’ lyrics came back to me.

There are obvious crime-related Beatles songs. “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is such an example. In it, a handful of murders are conducted by our young hero with the aid of his trusty silver weapon which he manages to smuggle in everywhere, including school, court and the local police station. Of course, on the other side of the law, there is “Lovely Rita”. Here, the singer is courting (no pun intended) a meter maid.

The Beatles’ rock ‘n roll view of romance is particular interest. “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road” comes to mind, for example. It could, I suppose be simply walking and whistling a happy tune that the fad four are suggesting, but most people think they are talking about something a bit more sexual in nature. Clearly not a good suggestion. Assuming that one survived the oncoming traffic, one would soon be arrested and prosecuted for a host of criminal acts which fall under the purview of the sexual offender registry. Of course, speaking of which, the song “Little Child”, wherein the singer, who is “sad and lonely” asks a young thing to “take a chance” on him would also interest many prosecutors. Of course, he is suggesting that they only dance…!

I can see the Commonwewlth’s sexual assault expert now testifying that “things like ‘dancing’ are simply a ruse used by the offender who gains the child’s trust…!”
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