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Guilty Conscious

How Courts Handle “Consciousness of Guilt” in Massachusetts Imagine someone runs from the police after discovering they’re about to be arrested. Someone might say, “See! That shows a guilty conscience!” Showing a guilty conscience might see…
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What is a Jury Foreperson?

What is a Jury Foreperson? The jury foreperson is like the team captain of the jury. They help keep deliberations on track, ensure that every juror has a chance to speak, and handle the paperwork once a decision is reached. In both criminal and civil…
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What Is Revenge Porn and Why Is It a Serious Crime?

What Is Revenge Porn and Why Is It a Serious Crime? Sexual abuse can take many forms. One that’s gaining more attention is revenge porn. This occurs when someone shares explicit images of another person without their permission, often to humiliate…
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New Discovery Rules

In March 2025, an important new change to the rule on discovery went into effect. These changes will impact the duty prosecutors have to provide people accused of crimes with the evidence they have in their possession, custody, or control. This new r…
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Self Defense for Animals?

Animal cruelty is a crime in Massachusetts. The highest court in the state recently decided a new case on the defense of animal cruelty. What are the facts of the new case? In the new case, Commonwealth v. Robin Adams, a man took his dog to a public…
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Confidential Informants and Search Warrants

Confidential Informants and Search Warrants What is a search warrant? A search warrant is a piece of paper that gives police permission to search you or something you own. Search warrants are signed by judges or magistrates. Under the Fourth Amendmen…
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Jail Informant(s)

Testimony at a criminal trial can come from many different sources. Police officers, bystanders, family members, friends, and even the alleged victims of crimes can take the stand. Another source is an incarcerated informant, sometimes called a “a…
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Assault and Battery on a Healthcare Provider

Assault and battery is a criminal offense in Massachusetts. There are different types of assault and battery. The types usually have to do with who the victim is. Certain categories of vulnerable people have special protection under the law. Some exa…
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Revenge Porn Law

Sexual abuse is a serious crime that comes from a wide variety of conduct. One way a person can be sexually abused is through revenge porn. Across the country, states have been passing laws to criminalize revenge porn. Massachusetts is one of the lat…
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Secretly Photographing or Videotaping a Nude or Partially Nude Person

Massachusetts is a state that takes sex crimes very seriously. Sex offenses include crimes like rape, possession of child porn*graphy, and sexual assault of a minor. Another offense that falls under the category of sex crimes is secretly photographin…
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