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One of the most frequently used phrases in criminal law is "probable cause." In Massachusetts, probable cause is necessary to arrest someone, conduct a search without a warrant, detain a person arrested on suspicion of having committed a crime or to obtain a search...
If you have a teenager living with you in Boston, it may remind you of the challenges you faced as an adolescent. Teens deal with peer pressure and external influences that can make it hard to avoid making bad decisions. They are young and impressionable, and still...
Many people in Massachusetts realize that the state has a sex offender registration act, but few understand its mechanics. The United States Department of Justice also maintains a sex offender registration list, but the existence of this list and how it may be...
A common question asked by criminal defendants with histories of prior criminal activity is whether evidence of a prior crime can be used to prove guilt. For example, a person who is accused of felony drug charges may have been convicted of a similar crime on a prior...
If you are accused of assaulting a roommate, family member or romantic partner in Boston, chances are you have a lot of questions on your mind. One of them may concern how a domestic violence charge can affect your life. Whether the allegations are true or not, you...
The English common law has given courts in the United States, both local and federal, many doctrines that are routinely applied in criminal and civil cases. One of the oldest and best known of such rules is the felony murder rule. The rule states that anyone who...
Those defending against a felony charge in Massachusetts face varying punishments depending on the nature of their offense. A conviction for any felony carries serious consequences such as prison time and fines. For example, if convicted of felony drug charges,...
All parents want to imagine that their son or daughter is a responsible and law-abiding young adult. When this proves not to be the case, it can be shocking, to say the least. High schoolers are often susceptible to peer pressure and the pressures of growing up, so...
Larceny is the "taking of someone else's property without the use of force" - this is the main difference between larceny and robbery, which is generally defined as the taking of someone's property with threats, intimidation and force. To be convicted for larceny in...
A previous blog post discussed the process of appealing a criminal conviction or sentence in Massachusetts. Harmless errors - or ones that do not affect the substantial rights of the defendant - will not justify reversal. To justify reversal, the error must have been...