Boston Criminal Defense Law Blog

What does it even mean to face charges of money laundering?

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates on Thursday, June 4, 2020.

The term "money laundering" often brings up visions of suit-wearing mafia bosses. Scattered among their illegal business endeavors are legitimate business operations they use to make sure authorities cannot follow the money trail back to them.

The above may be an accurate, if not Hollywood-glorified, version of the truth, but it is not the only way that money laundering happens. If you currently face accusations of being involved in this particular criminal activity, it may help to better understand what you face as you move forward.

Inaccurate Breathalyzer results can impact your future

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates on Thursday, May 28, 2020.

Seeing the flashing lights of a police car in your rearview mirror can ruin your night. You pull over, and an officer walks over to your window to explain why he or she pulled you over. This ultimately led to field sobriety tests, and after that, a Breathalyzer test to determine your blood alcohol content. The results of your Breathalyzer determined that your BAC was over the legal limit, and now you are facing OUI charges.

This can be devastating, and you may not be sure what you can do to fight back against these charges. It can be especially frustrating if you believe that your BAC results were inaccurate. Like any machine, Breathalyzers can be problematic, and it's possible there were external factors that affected the results. If you believe this happened to you, it may be worth taking a closer look at your case with the help of a Massachusetts legal professional.

Protecting your rights and fighting your OWI charge

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates on Friday, May 22, 2020.

If you are facing drunk driving charges in Massachusetts, you know your future and your freedom are at stake. Whether it is your first offense or you have previous convictions on your record, it is in your interests to fight back against these charges and pursue the best possible outcome to your case. You can start fighting your OWI as soon as possible after an arrest.

Many assume it is simply easier to plead guilty so they can move on faster. This or a conviction can bring penalties that range from time behind bars to expensive fines. Additionally, you could be dealing with a loss of your reputation and compromised opportunities in your career and education. In some cases, an OWI may even affect a child custody dispute. There is a lot at stake for you, and your future interests are always worth fighting for.

How big of an OUI problem does Boston have?

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates posted in OUI Defense on Saturday, May 16, 2020.

If you live in Boston and face Operating Under the Influence charges, you are not alone. The Boston Herald reports that Boston holds the dubious honor of being the number two city in the nation for drunk driving convictions.

This startling news comes from a nationwide study conducted by QuoteWizard, an auto insurance company. Per this study, the top five U.S. cities with the most OUI/DWI/DUI convictions are the following:

Greensboro, SC
Boston, MA
Columbus, OH
Columbia, SC
Boise, ID

What are some drunk driving tipoffs?

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates posted in OUI Defense on Sunday, May 3, 2020.

Not surprisingly, law enforcement officers constantly remain vigilant for drivers whose driving patterns indicate that they are operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Given that, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, someone becomes injured in a drunk driving crash every two minutes in the United States and someone dies in a drunk driving crash every 51 minutes, such vigilance unfortunately remains necessary.

You would therefore do well to always practice safe driving techniques and habits every time you get behind the wheel. If you do not, you face getting pulled over for alleged OUI even if you are neither inebriated nor under the influence of illegal drugs. Specifically, you should be aware of the following drunk driving tipoffs that officers watch for.

How an OUI can hurt your child's college education

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates on Friday, May 1, 2020.

Attending college, particularly at one of Massachusetts' prestigious schools such as Harvard or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, can be exciting yet extremely stressful at the same time. For stress relief, many students attend parties, hang out at bars or visit other hot spots at which the serving of alcohol occurs. While there is nothing wrong with this, if they choose to drink and drive, they may face charges for operating under the influence. An OUI conviction can have serious consequences.

Did you know that an OUI can hurt your child's college education? Some people may not realize that it can. Students can lose scholarships and their housing. Some may even find themselves expelled. Those whose schools allow them to finish their degrees may find obtaining professional licensing and jobs when finished impossible. For these and many other reasons, fighting an OUI charge is a must.

Are you a person of interest in an embezzlement case?

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates on Friday, April 24, 2020.

It is not a good feeling to have someone seem suspicious of you. In some cases, the person may have no cause to suspect that you have done or will do something wrong, but being made to feel as if you are a bad person can certainly affect your general sense of self. Unfortunately, while you may be able to brush off someone's unwarranted suspicions of you, it may be more difficult to handle the suspicions of police officers and investigators.

Unfortunately for you, you have come under suspicion of a white-collar crime. In particular, someone has accused you of embezzling funds from the company for which you work. You may think this idea is preposterous, but you must still take it seriously because an investigation into missing or misappropriated funds has begun, and you are a person of interest.

Why do people drive drunk?

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates posted in OUI Defense on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

Despite decades of warnings, Public Service Announcements, Mothers Against Drunk Driving campaigns and ever stiffer OUI/DWI/DUI penalties, many people still choose to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs or get into a car with a driver they know is drunk. Do you? Why?

Recovery.org reports that a recent survey revealed the following reasons why people say they drive while under the influence or allow others to do so:

Let friends drive drunk because they have “safely” done so on prior occasions – 40%
Drive drunk because they are going to a “hook-up” location – 25%
Let friends drive drunk because they do not want to argue about it – 20% for men, 7% for women
Drive drunk because they believe they can drive safely even when they suspect their alcohol consumption has exceeded the legal limit – 10%

What should you know about field sobriety tests?

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates posted in OUI Defense on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

If officers pull you over for suspected OUI, they likely will ask you to take a field sobriety test. You may wish to refuse, however. Why? Because this test, which actually consists of three separate tests, does not always produce accurate results.

DUI Justice Link explains that many things can influence your performance on a field sobriety test, including the following:

How much you weigh
How old you are
Any medical problems you have and the medications you take for them
Improper instructions on the part of the officer
Improper observations on the part of the officer

Officers take drugged driving seriously; OUI charges could result

On behalf of J. W. Carney, Jr. & Associates on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Many Massachusetts residents know that drinking and driving can lead to a lot of trouble. However, it is just as important to keep in mind that drugged driving can also have serious consequences if a police officer stops you.

You may not think drugged driving, especially on a substance like marijuana, would be as big of an issue as driving while drunk. Still, accidents can happen any time a person is impaired while behind the wheel, which is why authorities take such offenses seriously.