Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog | Amherst Northampton Chicopee

Jul 21

Image of a man with tape over his mouth, indicating that a recent teen suicide assistance case sets the wrong legal precedent regarding involuntary manslaughter and verbal crimes.

Attorneys Argue Recent Teen Suicide Assistance Case Sets Wrong Legal Precedent

In our last post, we discussed the teen suicide assistance case of Michelle Carter, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after her boyfriend committed suicide at her urging via text message. She has now been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison, though she is expected to be released after 15 months.... read more →

Jul 07

Image of a teenage girl handcuffed, like the girl in Massachusetts found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for her boyfriend's suicide.

Massachusetts Teen Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter in Boyfriend’s Suicide Case

Last month, a Massachusetts court found a teenage girl guilty of involuntary manslaughter after it was discovered that she encouraged and pressured her boyfriend to follow through on his desire to commit suicide back in 2014. The evidence against her was damning; most of their communication happened via text, giving the prosecution... read more →

Jun 21

Image of an obese pot-bellied pig similar to the one involved in a felony animal cruelty case in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Woman Facing Felony Animal Cruelty Charges for Obese Pet Pig

In a bizarre and sad story out of Billerica, a woman is facing felony animal abuse and cruelty charges after authorities removed a morbidly obese pot-bellied pig from her home. If convicted, the woman could spend years in jail and be ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines. The... read more →

Jun 01

Image of a casino game, indicating the tension between casino owners and the state of Massachusetts over the employment laws regarding convicted felons.

Convicted Felons Working in Massachusetts Casinos: Yea or Nay?

In 2011, Massachusetts passed a law barring any person with a conviction for a felony, theft, fraud, or perjury in the last 10 years from working in any position at the state's casinos. With a new casino slated to open in Springfield in 2018, casino giant MGM is pushing for... read more →

May 15

Image of an ear in a wall, symbolizing Massachusetts wiretapping bill.

Updated Massachusetts Wiretapping Bill Unveiled at State House Meeting

Criminal justice reform has been on everyone's minds in Massachusetts, including Governor Charlie Baker. Earlier this month, Gov. Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey presented a new Massachusetts wiretapping bill for consideration at a State House news conference that would modernize the 1968 wiretapping statute currently on the books. Here's... read more →

May 01

Massachusetts’ New CORI Law Amendments

Our state has a database of criminal records that are accessible by potential employers in some cases. It is called the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system. Last week, the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) amended CORI regulations. In this post, we will discuss the recent changes. What... read more →

Apr 15

Image of a basketball, like the one used by the UMass men's basketball coaching staff who are now at the center of a lawsuit.

UMass Men’s Basketball Coaching Staff at the Center of Lawsuit

Back in December, a woman brought a lawsuit against four members of the University of Massachusetts men's basketball coaching staff. She claims they held her against her will until she promised to keep quiet about other criminal activity happening in their circle. One person named in the suit is recently-fired... read more →

Apr 01

Massachusetts Police Officer Latest Example of Dashcam Controversy

The use of dashboard cameras (aka dashcam) and audio recorders and whether or not they should be required for police enforcement officials if such officers could be trusted to administer this evidence lawfully, and other questions has been heavily speculated about in recent years. Opponents of mandatory arrest recordings state... read more →

Mar 15

Image of a police officer holding a breathalyzer for Massachusetts DUI convictions

Thousands of Massachusetts DUI Convictions May Be Tossed Out Due to Lack of Protocol

In February of 2017, Massachusetts District Court Justice Robert Brennan handed down a ruling that could result in the expungement of thousands of DUI convictions between 2012 and 2014. He stated that the absence of clear protocols from the Massachusetts Office of Alcohol Testing means there's no way to know... read more →

Mar 01

Image of a police car with its lights flashing against a coastal town landscape representing the arrests called into question through the state's drug testing scandal

Update: Criminal Defense Lawyers Say Prosecutors Withheld Evidence of Tampering in Drug Testing Scandal During Convictions

In our last blog post, we discussed how the lingering Massachusetts drug testing scandal has marred our criminal justice system and shed light on the possible need for system reformation. We have now learned that the state prosecutors investigating now-disgraced drug chemist Sonja Farak knew she was tampering with samples... read more →

Northampton Criminal Defense Attorney Blog