Molari Law Insights
Massachusetts Legal Developments Blog
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What You Should Know About Theft Charges in Massachusetts
Recently, a woman in Massachusetts was arrested twice in relation to two separate incidents in Boston involving theft. The woman was first arrested and charged with shoplifting in Boston Municipal Court after she allegedly stole several items from a CVS. When…
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Dropping Disorderly Conduct Charges
Disorderly conduct charges are one of the most common offenses faced by individuals in Massachusetts because these charges can arise in a number of situations ranging from late night disputes to bar fights. Many times, disorderly conduct charges arise from…
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Defending Against Sex Crime Charges
Our law firm has defended numerous clients who have been charged with sex crimes. While these laws have been in place for quite some times, these cases are occurring in greater numbers, and given the strength of the current #MeToo movement , they are taken…
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What is Melanie’s Law?
In 2005, the state of Massachusetts began to recognize the offense of child endangerment while operating a vehicle under the influence. The state of Massachusetts more commonly refers to this offense as Melanie’s Law . In addition to fines, the loss of a…
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Massachusetts Passes Laws Changing Drug Distribution Charges
In April 2018, Governor Baker signed into law a new bill that significantly changed several aspects of criminal law in Massachusetts. These laws were largely instituted to keep individuals out of prison. One of the areas that was impacted by these changes is…
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Defending Against Massachusetts Shoplifting Charges
While many people view shoplifting as a minor type of crime, the crime can result in a person facing some significant penalties, including fines, jail time, probate, and a criminal record that greatly affects career and educational goals. For this reason,…
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Recent Changes in Massachusetts OUI Law
In April of 2018, Governor Baker signed a bill into law which made several significant changes to various elements of the Massachusetts Criminal Justice System. One of the changes created by this new law regards individuals in Massachusetts who are charged…
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Changes to Massachusetts Law
In April 2018, Governor Baker signed a bill into law which changed a variety of regulations in the state of Massachusetts. The motivation behind these numerous changes were to decrease the number of people who are sent to prison. One of the areas that was…
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Massachusetts Appellate Court Decides Miranda Warnings Case
Recently, a Massachusetts state appellate court decided Commonwealth v. Cawthrona , a drug trafficking case which involved the question of whether evidence that was seized by law enforcement violated the constitutional rights of the person being charged. More…
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Marijuana Linked to Increase in Fatal Car Accidents
A recent study suggests that marijuana use may cause fatal car accidents. The study, released by JAMA Internal Medicine , found that there were more fatalities and car accidents on April 20, a “holiday” of sorts for cannabis enthusiasts, compared to the same…
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Massachusetts Begins Process to Reform Criminal Justice System
Massachusetts began the process of reforming its criminal justice system recently when legislators released a comprehensive criminal justice bill. The bill is a result of a compromise between a six-member conference committee that joined the separate reform…
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Suicides Increase in Massachusetts Prisons
Suicides in prisons have reached a three-year high in 2017, right on the cusp of Massachusetts passing a comprehensive criminal justice reform bill. According to state and county data, there were 14 suicides in Massachusetts jails last year. With the suicide…
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Massachusetts Case Raises Important Lesson About Search Rights
Recently in the robbery case of Commonwealth v. Mercado , a Massachusetts state appellate court issued an opinion concerning when a law enforcement officer is lawfully permitted to stop people against their will and search them. In its holding, the court…
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Admissible Evidence in a Court Trial
Evidence in a criminal case is supposed to prove that a defendant is guilty without reasonable doubt or innocent of all charges. Sometimes evidence may have been tampered with or destroyed, wrongfully obtained, or produced from witnesses that lack honesty. In…
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Massachusetts Slow to Record Gun Background Checks into Federal Databases
A recent report by the Boston Globe shows that three years after the state overhauled its gun laws , the Commonwealth is still struggling to send the results of their background checks to federal investigators. According to the Boston Globe, the delays in…
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Drugged Driving an Increasing Problem in Massachusetts
According to Massachusetts data license revocations, OUI, or operating under the influence charges are up a whopping 65% in the last three years, according to NBC Boston . According to Massachusetts State Police Trooper Patrick Mahady, many Massachusetts…
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Massachusetts Court Rules Search Under Car Hood Violation of Constitutional Rights
The highest court in Massachusetts ruled on an important Fourth Amendment search and seizure case last week. The case concerns an incident in 2015 when a driver in Holyoke was stopped by police officers. The officer then asked the driver if there were any…
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Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: Bail Must be Affordable to Defendants
In a unanimous ruling, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reminded prosecutors, judges, and criminal defendants across the Commonwealth that bail should be affordable to the person charged with a crime. A Massachusetts lawyer that specializes in…
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After Drug Lab Scandal, Massachusetts Throws Out 8,000 Convictions
In a bizarre scandal with far-reaching consequences, state prosecutors in Massachusetts are set to throw out over 8,000 convictions that occurred in the Commonwealth over an eight-year period between 2005 and 2013. This is the second case in the Commonwealth…
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Operating Under the Influence of Marijuana in Massachusetts
Like all other states, driving while impaired is illegal in Massachusetts. However, when it comes to marijuana, the issue of how to tell when someone is “too impaired” to drive is tricky for several reasons. First, there is no standardized measurement like…