The police say you, or someone in your family, used a car without permission. Now there’s a court date for “use of a motor vehicle without authority.” That’s stressful, especially when the car belongs to a friend, a relative, or a rental comp…

You were released on bail or on your own recognizance and missed a court date. Now there is a new charge: failure to appear, usually called bail jumping, under G.L. c. 276, § 82A. It is a separate crime from the case you missed, its penalty depends…

Enticing a child under 16 is a felony in Massachusetts under G.L. c. 265, § 26C. The charge does not require any physical contact or even a real child. It is built on what you said or did to lure someone, and what you intended to happen next. Th…

A common question from clients and their families is: “Does the jury see everything?” The short answer is no....

When a fatal crash leads to criminal charges in Massachusetts, people often hear “motor vehicle homicide” as if it were one offense. It is not. G.L. c. 90, § 24G creates related tracks — some felonies, one a misdemeanor — depending on impair…

A corporation is not a living person. It acts through people: officers, employees, and other agents. In Massachusetts, that means a business can be charged with a crime when an agent commits one while doing the company’s work with enough author…

What is transferred intent? One of the elements of most crimes that the Commonwealth must prove is “intent”. There is a related legal principle called “transferred intent.” This applies when a person intends to harm one person…

What can I do with a license? It is the burden of the Commonwealth to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you did not have license or authority to do something when you are charged with a crime. However, under G.L. c. 278 § 7 a person relying on a…