People who are convicted of an OUI or admit to sufficient facts (CWOF) for a 2nd offense OUI, 3rd offense OUI and so on, have to comply with certain conditions from the Registry of Motor Vehicles before they are allowed to drive again. One example of…
People often say be careful what you post on social media. This is good advice. Although you may think your content is protected by the Constitution that is often not the case. For example, in a recent case called Commonwealth v. Carrasquillo the hig…
When a person commits a crime that involves financial loss to someone else they might be ordered to pay restitution. What is restitution? When does it occur? How is it calculated? What factors do judges consider when they order restitution? What is r…
There are several different ways a person in Massachusetts can have their driver’s license suspended or revoked. One way is by “immediate threat.” What is an immediate threat? An immediate threat is an indefinite suspension of your driver’s l…
In 2011, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed into law new legislation on gambling in Massachusetts. The law focuses mostly on using casino revenues to benefit the state, but it also creates criminal penalties for certain gambling crime…
In criminal law expert witnesses may play a critical role in defending a case. What is an expert witness? What can expert witnesses say at trial? What can’t they say? How will an expert witness help me defend my case? What is an expert witness? An…
In the past few decades, DNA technologies have taken off. Thanks to these advances, DNA plays a much more important role in criminal cases than it did in the past. Forensic scientists are able to extract and analyze DNA from crime scenes to help poli…
If you are a gun owner in Massachusetts, you may have noticed that our state has many different restrictions on what firearm accessories you can use. One of these restrictions is on large capacity feeding devices, which are defined in state law. With…
What are Brady Lists? How do they prevent police conduct? And how could a Brady List impact your case? What is a Brady List? A Brady List is a watch list that prosecutors use to keep track of police officers who have engaged in or have been accused o…
Are habitual offenders eligible for probation? Yes, they are. Besides settling disputes, one of the most important jobs courts do is interpret law when statutes are unclear. The Massachusetts Supreme Court did just this in a case decided in December…
