Clients facing criminal charges are often eager to put things behind them by making a plea deal. That’s because open, or pending, cases can show up when applying for jobs, housing or professional licenses. While it is true that a major part of any criminal defense attorney’s job is structuring favorable plea deals, sometimes it is not in the client’s best interest to do so, at least not prematurely.
Cases in busy District (and Boston […]
In many instances, those charged with crimes will end up with a sentence of probation as an alternative to doing time. But probation has its pitfalls. If you are on probation and your probation officer believes that you have failed to satisfy a “term or condition” of probation, your probation could be revoked and you could be incarcerated.
Probation violation hearings occur in two parts:
Part 1 is a Probation […]
Can a 911 call be entered in evidence at trial? This is a question that I get often from clients, and the answer is “it depends.” At trial, the most powerful testimony is that of someone on the stand, speaking to the jury. Witnesses, oftentimes alleged victims of crimes, are afforded the opportunity to be heard. But sometimes witnesses are unavailable or unwilling to testify. What then?
The Supreme Court and the Massachusetts SJC have […]
At arraignment, an entry is created on a defendant’s Board of Probation (BOP) record. This record, sometimes called a “rap sheet,” is an overview of your criminal history and includes juvenile court records, adult court records and restraining orders. Judges have access to all this information and use it when making decisions regarding bail and plea deals.
As you might imagine, less is more; that is, the fewer entries on the BOP, the […]
There has been a lot written lately about how the jury trial is an endangered species. While it it true that most criminal complaints resolve short of a jury trial (through a plea deal) many cases can and must go to trial.
Many serious offenses in the Commonwealth, such as Indecent Assault and Battery Under 14, require those convicted to register as sex offenders; the laws are often written to prohibit defendants from making plea deals to avoid the registration requirement. […]
