Massachusetts Legal Developments Blog

SJC Affirms Firearms Possession Convictions Despite Defendant’s Double Jeopardy Argument

In Massachusetts, firearms offenses are severely prosecuted. The Massachusetts General Laws establish the type of conduct related to firearms that constitute criminal offenses. Under Part IV, Title I, Chapter 269, Section 10(a), Massachusetts law prohibits the possession of a gun outside of a person’s residence or place of business. In a recent case, the number of violations that a defendant can be charged with under GL Chapter 269 Section 10(a) when he uses the same gun within a short time period was tested at the Supreme Judicial Court level.

In Commonwealth v. Horne, decided earlier this week on September 16, among other arguments, the defendant argued that his two convictions for unlicensed carrying of a firearm under G.L. Chapter 269, Section 10A were duplicative and in violation of the double jeopardy clause because they were based on his continuous and uninterrupted possession of the same firearm.

In 2009, the defendant’s t.v. was taken from home in Springfield, Massachusetts. Somehow the defendant learned that a man named Joseph was the thief. The next day, Joseph Darco was at a birthday party at Brittany Perez’s apartment, which was on the same street as the defendant’s home. A guest at the party heard someone shout “I want my TV” sometime after sunset. That person saw the defendant outside holding a gun. Mr. Darco was outside and a confrontation took place. During the confrontation, the defendant showed Mr. Darco the gun. Mr. Darco went back into the house, and then later emerged with a friend and two other party members. There was a commotion outside and Ms. Perez’s mother told the men to take their fight somewhere else. At that point, the defendant went back to his apartment.

By the early morning, around 1:30AM, the party had ended. Ms. Perez was standing inside of the apartment in front of a window. The window was covered with dark curtains and a set of blinds. Ms.

Perez was talking with her mother when she was shot. One of Ms. Perez’s neighbors saw the defendant flee the scene. He was later arrested and police uncovered the gun, which he had attempted to dispose of nearby.

The SJC first noted that defendant’s first charge of possession of a rifle was based on his possession of the rifle when he first confronted Mr. Darco. The second charge was based on his possession of the rifle when he shot at Ms. Perez’s window. The SJC then determined that while courts have held that unlawful possession of a firearm is a single and continuous offense, the Massachusetts statute clearly establishes that the offense is committed when a person possess a gun without a license outside of his or her residence or business, and a defendant stops violating the law when he or she goes back into his or her residence or business, thereby relinquishing possession of the gun. The court deemed that the “unit of prosecution” of the statute, therefore, is the continuous possession of a firearm outside the possessor’s residence or business.

In defendant’s case, two distinct prosecutable crimes resulted from his coming and going from the party. The SJC held that because the defendant had returned to his home after confronting Mr. Darco, and then went back to the apartment with the rifle later that evening, he had committed two separate and distinguishable crimes. Ultimately, the SJC affirmed defendant’s possession charges.

Firearms offenses in Massachusetts are complex and may lead to severe penalties and consequences. If you have been charged with a firearms offense for unlawful possession of a firearm, you should immediately seek out the assistance of an experienced attorney. Contact Edward R. Molari, Attorney at Law today for a confidential consultation.