Articles Posted in Vehicular Crimes

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So far, 2009 has been an active year for certain Boston-area law enforcement officials in terms of legal problems. Take for example Stoughton’s police chief, Manuel, C., 57 (hereinafter, “Defendant 1”), this week appearing beside his defense attorney, standing trial on white collar charges that he tried to use his authority to threaten a former Stoughton businessman in April 2002 to drop a complaint of misconduct against a former police sergeant.

He’s also accused of trying to cover up the sergeant’s attempt to coerce a settlement of a civil claim against the businessman.

Defendant 1 has been on paid leave since he was indicted nearly four years ago. He began trial in Dedham Superior Court yesterday.

Then there is the tale of Brockton Police Officer Daniel M., 31, (hereinafter, “Defendant 2”) who has finally returned to work for the first time since his May 2005 arrest on a rape charge. He is now undergoing retraining before hitting the streets again, Police Chief William Conlon said.

Superior Court Judge Paul Troy is said to have dismissed the rape charge last week after a series of legal proceedings and after the woman making the allegations failed to appear in court at any time. Because the charge was dropped, Defendant 2 will receive back pay from the city. Conlon said the city is now calculating that amount.

Defendant 2 had already served a five-day suspension given by then Police Chief Paul Studenski in connection with the case, Conlon said.
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Driving around Boston and environs during the winter months can be an adventure. We know that the storms are coming…they tell us the storms are coming…yet we seem to be taken by surprise when streets are slippery. Perhaps it is because we are often already angry when we are dealing with traffic issues. From my vast experience of 25 years in criminal justice I have found that even waiting patiently in a traffic jam is quicker than getting angry, acting out, getting arrested, needing a lawyer and still having to wait quietly in traffic when you get out of custody anyway.

Hey – but that’s just me.

Not everybody sees it the same way I do. For example, during the early morning hours yesterday, four people in Springfield demonstrated such an alternate viewpoint. Of course, they got arrested and I am at home writing my daily blog.

The arrests took place after a minor two-vehicle accident turned into a violent confrontation on Chestnut and State streets.

Complete with gunfire.

“When police arrived they observed a Ford Expedition leaving the scene of the shooting,” said Springfield Police Capt. Eugene C. Dexheimer. The operator of the Expedition (hereinafter, ” Defendant Auto A”) would not stop and was spotted by other officers on Route 5 near the Forest Park entrance approaching a Ford Mustang (hereinafter, “Defendant Auto B”), Dexheimer said.

Police determined the incident began as a car accident between the two vehicles, which then led to a physical confrontation.
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You know, it is not just Metro Boston law enforcement who know how to investigate. They are all trained to do it. That is why I keep telling you not to try to outwit them because you are not likely to succeed. Keep quiet, comply and get a criminal defense lawyer.

Michael W., 23, (hereinafter, the “Defendant”), thought he could fool the officer who stopped him earlier this week. He was riding in a car when it was stopped for speeding in Ashland, Massachusetts. When questioned as to his identity, the Defendant apparently gave the police a false name.

Unfortunately for the Defendant, however, the name he gave belonged to someone whom the officer knew was already in jail, according to the police.

Of course, the Defendant had a reason for wanting to be someone else…there was currently a warrant out for his arrest for the crime of rape.
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North of Boston, Evelyn C., 74, (hereinafter the “Defendant”) thought she had reason to celebrate. Instead, she found that the gift she thought received from the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) necessitated a little something extra…namely, a criminal defense lawyer
You see, like many of us, she was driving around the morning of December 17th. Unlike many of us, however, she was not supposed to be behind the wheel at all until 2015.

That’s what a Salem District Court judge had told her last August when he sentenced her after her third operating under the influence conviction.

She knew it and the court knew it…but, the RMV…not so much.

Just last month, in fact, they issued a brand new shiny driver’s license for the Defendant.

An isolated occurrence?

Again, not so much.

You see, her case is one of what the state auditor last summer estimated as thousands of drivers whose licenses were never yanked by the RMV despite court orders following drunken driving and other motor vehicle convictions.
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In the north of Boston, there is a little city called Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a fun place with its own claims to excitement. A number of years ago, for example, we used to hang people for being witches. Next to Salem, is Lynn. Perhaps for more mundane reasons, Lynn tends to be a rather exciting place to live too as we have discussed in the this daily blog many times.

Last July, a Lynn man, apparently unsatisfied with the adventures that Salem had to offer, engaged in alittle excitement of his own. Well, his and his lady friends…

Michael B., 37, (hereinafter, “Boy Defendant”), and his girlfriend, Caroline T., 27 of Woburn (hereinafter, “Girl Defendant”), came to Salem two days ago to put an end to their pending criminal matter. They were coming to plead guilty .

It had been an assault case. Actually, a domestic violence assault case. A domestic violence assault case that was allegedly committed right outside the courthouse.

The alleged victim? Boy Defendant’s estranged wife (hereinafter, “Mrs. Boy Defendant”).
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Taghi T., 28, of Boston, (hereinafter, “Defendant 1”) was awaiting his mail on Wednesday. He did not realize that a criminal defense attorney would need to be involved.

Apparently, he should have.

Law Enforcement had intercepted the parcel and when Defendant 1 went to UPS in downtown Boston to claim it, he received the Commonwealth Bracelets of Shame instead. You see, the postal workers were really police officers. The package had a bit of marihuana in it…a “bit” being defined here as 10 pounds worth. And you know how the police are…always suspicious. For some reason they suspected there might be more goodies to be found, so they decided to search his Boston home.

They turned out to be right. They found a large amount of materials typically found in any healthy drug operation, according to Suffolk County prosecutors. Well, that is, if you consider 800 grams of cocaine, another 15 pounds of marijuana, more than 200 prescription pills, $25,235 in cash and various drug paraphernalia such as scales, cutting agents, and bags a “large amount”.

The Commonwealth does, incidently.

And so it was that Defendant 1 found himself before a Boston court facing various drug charges such as cocaine trafficking and drug possession.

But, hey, that’s the “big city”, right? If you are talking about Massachusetts, Beantown is the “big leagues”! The urban Mecca! What do you expect?
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Happy Monday. How did you start your weekend? I hear a lot of people went shopping. At Altman & Altman, LLP., we moved our offices next door.

In Fitchburg, Massachusetts, a gentleman had a high speed chase with an officer.

As usual, he did not win. He did, however, manage to injure a police officer, which successfully gained him membership into the infamous “Hey, I’ll Bet I Can Make This Worse” Club.

Of course, according to authorities, James T., 36 of Templeton (hereinafter, “Defendant 1”) had not exactly been the pillar of good judgment before the chase. There had already been a little matter of that warrant out for his arrest in connection with the robbery of the Fitchburg Savings Bank in Parkhill Plaza in April 2007.

Last Friday, police say that Detective Perry Pappas saw Defendant1 come out of a Marshall Street house around 1 p.m. and get into a black Saturn driven by a woman. The Detective followed the Saturn in an unmarked cruiser through city streets, and called for marked cruisers to help him with the arrest.

So far, so good.

Marked cruisers arrived around the intersection of Blossom and Crescent Streets. They signaled for the driver of the Saturn to stop.

That did not go over so well.

The Saturn did not stop. Instead, it drove along several more streets in the Fitchburg State College area and then hit another car at Pearl Street and Myrtle Avenue; that car, in turn, struck the cruiser driven by Police Officer Michael Rochette, police said.

The female driver of the Saturn was arrested at the scene and was taken to Leominster Hospital. Officer Rochette and three people in the car his cruiser collided with were taken to Leominster Hospital with what police said are non-life-threatening injuries.

Defendant 1, however, was not done yet.
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Sometimes it’s the opposite of a chase…!

Yesterday’s daily blog focused on police chases and attempts by defendants to get away from the scene of the alleged crime.

But in Weston, on Route 117 early Saturday morning, Joaovitor R, 18, of Watertown (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) is said to have driven right into two police officers.

Literally.

Yesterday, the Defendant appeared before the court to answer various charges related to the event. Although pleading not guilty, he is being held pending a dangerousness hearing at Waltham District Court.

The event took place as Sgt. Keith Kasprzak and Officers Steve McShane and David Zampell were investigating an unrelated accident involving a pickup truck that hit a utility pole in the Conant Road area of Route 117 at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

As Officer Zampell was directing westbound traffic, a car approached him. It was allegedly the Defendant.

The car stopped within inches of the officer.

And then the driver hit the gas.
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North Attleboro, Massachusetts, had more than its fair share of attempted escapes from law enforcement last week. Two such cases graced the hallowed halls of Attleboro District Court last Friday.

One case involved some teenagers who led the police on a high-speed chase into the welcoming arms of Rhode Island. The teens, a 15-year-old girl and three lads of 17, all of Providence, (hereinafter, “Defendants 1”) ,allegedly broke into vehicles at an Attleboro movie theatre and then took off in a stolen car.

Defendants 1 then led the police on a chase on Interstate 295 at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. Once they reached Rhode Island, the North Attleboro police broke off the chase.

Home free?

Afraid not.

Three of them were returned to Massachusetts (one is trying to fight extradition) to answer charges of breaking and entering, vandalism charges and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. The driver also faces traffic offenses.

You see, the North Attleboro police are not alone in the world. They have friends. Take Rhode Island law enforcement, for example. Rhode Island authorities picked up the chase, which ended on Route 7 in Smithfield, R.I., when the vehicle crashed into a brushy area off the highway.

So, other than the Massachusetts charges, they all now all face related charges in Rhode Island.

While two of the above-mentioned boys were arraigned in North Attleboro District Court last Friday, they had plenty of people to talk to. For example, there was Dennis W., 23, of North Attleboro (Hereinafter, “Defendant 2”). The police say that Defendant 2, an alleged drunk driver, struck a utility pole and drove off before calling a friend to drive his car.
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Sean G., 20, of Roslindale (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) was out for a drive early Wednesday morning. Normally, that might not pose so much of a problem. However, this time was different.

You see, according to the police, the Defendant was drunk. Upon further investigation, he was apparently not even supposed to be driving the car in the first place.

However, the Defendant’s real problems began when the police took notice of the gray sedan in Holliston, Massachusetts.

According to Police Sgt. George Leurini, the Defendant was seen driving the sedan on Route 126 traveling over the posted speed limit. The Speed limit was 25 miles per hour – the Defendant was going 39 mph. Sgt. Leuini turned on his siren.

Apparently, this confused the Defendant as he neither stopped nor slowed down; he sped up. Now, instead of the 39 mph, he accelerated to 70 mph.

The police car gave chase.

Perhaps quizzical as to why 70 mph was not enough to satisfy the police, the Defendant kept accelerating until it became a high speed chase at speeds of 100 mph.
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