by

This winter has presented us with various seasonal weathers…from seemingly Alaskan blizzards to mild Massachusetts spring. It is enough to confuse and to irritate anyone. Apparently, Michael Ciarlone, a 54 year-old Revere gentleman (hereinafter, the “Defendant”), is someone who indeed lost his “cool”.

Allegedly.

According to the Commonwealth, it started when the Defendant used a pickup truck and plow to push snow around a car he believed had parked in his spot on January 14th. When the car’s owner and others came outside, the Defendant is said to have shouted at them and then backed into one man with the truck. Finally, the Defendant is accused of kicking that man in the head and later punching another man in the face, breaking his glasses. According to the Commonwealth, the Defendant was inebriated at the time.

Both recipients were apparently treated for injuries at the scene.

The Defendant was treated to a later arraignment in Chelsea District Court for various charges, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property, and operating under the influence of alcohol.
Continue reading

by

While it is true that the duties of a good coach exist both on the field and off, North Andover 60-year-old high school wrestling coach David Castricone (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) has learned that they do not extend to the locker room.

The locker room of the opposite sex, at least.

That’s how suspicion apparently began in the Defendant’s case. He has been One of the most successful high school wrestling coaches in Massachusetts. The only thing is, there were questions about him. For example, why was he constantly being found in the girl’s locker room?

Police say that information was received last week that prompted a search of the Defendant’s home. According to court documents, the Defendant “got nervous” as police searched his attic. He then told his daughter to leave the kitchen.
Continue reading

by

A Roslindale man has allegedly learned a criminal justice lesson on the topic of hit-and-run accidents. Namely, you can hit. You can run. But you cannot hide.

Colin Ratiu, 23 (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) is the=is unfortunate driver according to the Commonwealth . He was arraigned in court yesterday after pleading “not guilty” to charges of leaving the scene of an accident after causing death, and motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation.

The accident happened in November. The Defendant was using someone else’s car and is said to have explained the damage on the vehicle by saying that when he had swerved to avoid a skunk, he ended up hitting…”something”.

In fact, what the car actually struck was a 24-year-old Northeastern University graduate driving home in a scooter. The scooter was thrown about 150 feet. The graduate was killed.

“He then proceeded to drive away without stopping,” the prosecutor told the judge yesterday.

Homicide detectives began the investigation immediately, but it was not until 89 days after the accident that an anonymous tip led them to the car that had allegedly been driven by the Defendant that fateful night. The damage on the vehicle was consistent with what they were looking for. Upon questioning, the vehicle’s owner told the detectives about the Defendant and his skunk story.
Continue reading

by

Sting operations in Massachusetts are not uncommon. They are employed by law enforcement to investigate various types of crimes from drug dealing to prostitution.

Oh yes. And guns.

Robert C. Kenney, 56, Christopher P. Littlejohn, 30, and Ramone Arakelow, 34, all from Beverly, (collectively, the “Defendants”) have now learned this lesson. They were arrested last week in such an operation. They allegedly thought they were planning a home invasion in Malden with “legitimate” co-conspirators.

The victim-to-be was a drug dealer.

The victim-to-be was not a legal citizen.

The victim- to be…did not exist.

The would-be victim was simply part of a fictitious scenario created by authorities who had been investigating the Defendants. What the various law enforcement agencies (FBI, State Police and various local police departments) were really after was weapons. One of the Defendants is suspected of selling seven illegal firearms in the Boston and North Shore areas, State Police said. The other two are suspected associates.
Continue reading

by

Mike Hennebury, a 37-year-old man from Hanover (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) is in trouble as this week comes to a close.

According to the police, the Defendant was on his merry way Tuesday night, driving drunk, when he ran off the road. Say what you will about the Defendant, he is apparently consistent. He has had three prior drunk driving cases in the past.

When the Defendant left the comfort of pavement, he ended up in the front yard of a home in an otherwise peaceful Duxbury neighborhood. There, his car came to a rest and was apparently having difficulty moving. Yes, it was stuck in the snow.

The good news is that a nice 72-year-old woman came out of her home, concerned that he needed help.

The bad news is that he apparently did not want any help. He really did not want any help!
Continue reading

by

How do former Massachusetts prosecutorial politicians and general politicians admit that they were wrong? Well, they don’t. They simply, and quietly, try to seek a “do over”, as young kids would say.

And so it was that former South Hadley prosecutor, Elizabeth Scheibel (hereinafter, “EXDA”), joined with others yesterday to address the fact that her and other heroic (and speedy) legislators’ measures regarding bullying do not seem to be working very well.

You remember EXDA, don’t you? In response to the public outcry of Phoebe Prince’s suicide, she is the political prosecutor (“PP”) who made headlines, instead of sense, when she indicted a bunch of kids for, when it comes down to it, bullying. Rather than doing further investigation (which the media did later for her), it was more palatable for her to ruin the lives of the other kids involved.

The transparently political move, while gaining accolades at first, soured in the light of day and she thereafter retired. However, the damage had been done. Part of that damage was to “up the ante” with her fellow politicians regarding bullying. So, in true political fashion, they pushed through what they called “the toughest anti-bullying law in the country” Unfortunately, the awesome law did little save give a false sense of security to the general public and confuse those who had to actually read the thing.

Oh. And it also gave us “No Name Calling Day”.
Continue reading

by

The Boston Housing Authority has had to close a nine-unit building for repairs, displacing nine families after three men allegedly set fire to a unit at the Bunker Hill housing development this week. The police say that the intended victims escaped through a window. Boston firefighters extinguished the two-alarm fire, but also had to rescue second-floor residents who were trapped by heavy smoke and fire.

Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported. According to the BHA, the families have been at hotels while the new apartments for them are sought. In the meantime, the families are being aided by the Red Cross.

James Burrell and Dashaun Lanair James, both 32 and of Charlestown, and Daniel Grayson, 28, of Roxbury, (hereinafter, collectively, the “Defendants”) have been charged with the blaze and have pleaded not guilty to arson of a dwelling and other related charges.

Bail was set at $150,000 for Burrell, $85,000 for James, and $50,000 for Grayson.

The Commonwealth believes that the arson was committed in connection with a drug debt. According to police, Burrell had been arguing with a man over said drug debt. Then, police say, the Defendants were standing in a hallway of the building shortly after midnight when a flammable liquid was poured under a unit’s door. Burrell is said to have ignited the liquid and then the Defendants all allegedly ran into a neighboring apartment building on Decatur Street.
Continue reading

by

Massachusetts bullying is not simply old news these days. As predicted, many people have made the mistake of assuming that the rushed so-called “anti-bullying” statute would solve the problem. They figured that the schools, following the clear guidance our elected officials presented would take care of it.

It didn’t. Maybe because the “guidance” presented was anything but clear.

To date, more than a third of Massachusetts school districts have failed to present complete antibullying plans by the end of 2010. This deadline was one of the few clear and presumed urgent things presented by the law, but why quibble? These figures, by the way, were by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

On the other hand, some school districts have complied….sort of. In 13 percent of those plans, at least a quarter of the elements required by the law were not clearly addressed.

If I may add a little note here…since the legislative “cure all”, I have actually seen a growth of calls regarding severe bullying problems about which the schools seem to have turned a blind eye…no matter what evidence was placed before said eye. An example of how bad the problem is can be illustrated by the simplest of requirements of the new law, namely, contacting parents of the kids involved. Even this seemingly simple exercise seems to be too much for the schools to handle.
Continue reading

by

A Dorchester college student is currently being held without bail after being arraigned at Dedham District Court. According to law enforcement, the lad, Darryl Max Dookhran, 18, (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) was carrying a semi-automatic firearm in his backpack at Massachusetts Bay Community College in
According to the Wellesley police, detectives acted on a tip that the Defendant had the gun. They say that they then approached the Defendant as he was standing in line at the registrar’s office. They then walked him into a nearby room. The Commonwealth says that the Defendant, upon this confrontation, backed against a wall and then kicked at detectives when they attempted to pat him down.

What followed, according to the Commonwealth is described as a “furious struggle with police”

Detectives say they found a Tec-9 gun in his backpack, with a loaded 18-round magazine.

He apparently says that it is not his gun and he has no idea how it got into his backpack.
Continue reading

by

Boston police got a 2-for-1 bargain earlier this week in the area of drunk driving.

They stopped an automobile near Columbia Road and Holden Street in Roxbury. It was initially stopped, according to law enforcement, because it had not stopped at a red light.

As part of normal practice, the driver was asked to produce his license and registration
Guess what?

Whoops! The driver’s license had been revoked. Whoops again…the driver had an outstanding warrant for his arrest due to a pending drunk driving charge.

So, the driver was about to become a guest of the Commonwealth. He asked the officers if his passenger could drive the vehicle home so that it would not have to be impounded.

Whoops a third time!

Upon checking the passenger out, it was discovered that she, too, had a drunk driving warrant out for her arrest.
Continue reading

Contact Information
Cambridge, MA
Main Office
675 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: 617.206.1920Fax: 617.491.3299Toll Free: 800.481.6199
Boston, MA
1 State St
Suite 2
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617.547.1205Toll Free: 800.481.6199
Needham, MA
250 First Avenue 2nd Floo
Needham, MA 02494
Phone: 781.675.2329Toll Free: 800.481.6199

Some Select Cases are referred to other attorneys for principal responsibility

By publishing this information on this Website, the Boston, Massachusetts law firm of Altman & Altman LLP is not claiming to represent any clients or cases mentioned here. The content provided is designed to inform readers and is not intended as legal advice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2025, Altman & Altman LLP
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design