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Oct 07

Image of a young man with a cell phone flagging down his Uber ride, indicating a larger workforce of drivers following the loosening of regulations for rideshare companies in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Loosens Regulations for Rideshare Companies

In a move hailed by many members of the public and criminal justice advocates, several regulations for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have now been softened in Massachusetts to allow more people to pass driver background checks. We will explain these changes in this blog post. The Previous Standard... read more →

Sep 21

Close-up image of an off-duty police officer with a badge and gun, like the Springfield police officer charged with assaulting a local teenager recently.

Springfield Police Officer Charged with Assaulting Teenager

In an unfortunate story, a Springfield police officer has received multiple criminal charges for his role in harassing a 15-year-old boy and stealing his cell phone. According to reports, the officer agreed to criminally intimidate the teen on behalf of a friend who claimed that he didn't want the boy talking... read more →

Sep 07

Image of drug packages, like the ones Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is targeting with his new criminal justice reform bill.

Massachusetts Governor Introduces Criminal Justice Reform Bill

At the end of August, Massachusetts state governor Charlie Baker introduced a package of criminal justice system reform bills that would result in some major changes. Supporters of the new bills include law enforcement officials, the Secretary of Public Safety and Security, the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, Massachusetts Major City Police Chiefs... read more →

Aug 21

Image of a border patrol agent, indicating the potential passing of a proposed Massachusetts ICE detainer law.

Massachusetts Governor Proposes ICE Detainer Law

Recently, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court voted to uphold the state's status as a sanctuary state. A sanctuary state is one in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers cannot detain and deport undocumented residents simply for being in the country illegally. Many viewed this ruling a victory, but... read more →

Aug 07

Image of a cannabis grow operation, the product of which will be subject to the adjusted taxes ordered by the new recreational marijuana rewrite bill.

Massachusetts Governor Signs Recreational Marijuana Rewrite Bill into Law

In 2016, Massachusetts became one of the first few states in the nation to legalize marijuana use for adults. At the time the law passed, voters approved the sale of recreational cannabis with 12 percent tax. Massachusetts House of Representatives overhauled the bill and approved a 28 percent tax on... read more →

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 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. Due to the... read more →

Jul 07

Image of a teenage girl handcuffed, like the girl in Massachusetts found guilty 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 →

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