Two Issues Stand In Front of New Judge in Bulger Case

by Russell Matson on March 29, 2013

Denise Casper has begun holding hearings in the trial of Whitey Bulger, Boston’s high profile mobster and former FBI informant. Out of the gate, the new judge has made efforts to show just how little has changed in the outlook of the trial. Still expected to start in June, still expected to last throughout the entire summer, Casper tried to portray her first day of hearings as a smooth transition in a case that is otherwise long underway. [click to continue…]

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The Boston Globe initiated an investigation into OUI cases where defendants waived their rights to a jury trial, electing to have their case heard before a judge (bench trial) instead, and specifically how these cases seemed to result in a positive outcome for the defendants more often than those heard before a jury. It was as a result of the Globe’s investigation that the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ordered their own investigation into the matter, to be completed by R.J. Cinquegrana with the firm of Choat, Hall & Stewart LLO, acting as a special counsel. [click to continue…]

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Gentlemen, Start Your Motions

September 28, 2012

There is really no way to overstate how huge the Massachusetts drug lab scandal is. It will have repercussions on criminal defense cases here and nationwide for years.

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Mass DUI Laws Are Not Lax

August 24, 2012

There is yet another article in the news, this week in the Salem News, that claims Massachusetts DUI laws are too soft, just because someone with a number of previous offenses gets arrested, and has a legal driver’s license. 

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Extra DUI Patrols on Route 24 Will Continue

July 30, 2012

The Globe and the Patch each report on additional police patrols on Rt 24 and 195 in Southeast Mass, after a number of recent crashes and traffic deaths said to be alcohol related.

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Ignition Interlock Devices for a First Offense?

July 17, 2012

Update: The 1st offense IID legislation appears dead for this session, at least! — The Patriot Ledger ran another editorial suggesting that requiring an ignition interlock device after a first offense OUI conviction in Massachusetts would be a good idea. We disagree.

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Boston Herald Panics That People Have Been Driving Without Incident

July 12, 2012

The Boston Herald has a splashy story about how nearly 1000 people in Massachusetts have legal driver’s licenses right now, yet have been convicted of 5 or more DUI charges. Outrageous! Except, what it actually means is that these individuals have been on the road, driving legally, and have not been convicted of any drunk [...]

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So Called “Loophole” Closed

July 12, 2012

The most recent Massachusetts state budget included a provision to close the so-called loophole with regard to license suspension durations in cases where a prior DUI offense was treated as a CWOF.

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Shutting Down the Registry CWOF “Loophole” on the Agenda for the State Senate

May 23, 2012

Via the blog of State Senator Bruce Tarr, one of the many amendments to this year’s state budget being debated is to close the so-called loophole created by the SJCs Souza v. Registrar of Motor Vehicles decision.

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Registry License Decisions Still Evolving In Light of Souza Decision

May 22, 2012

The Registry has reduced license suspension penalties in some cases in light of the recent Court decision, and deferred decisions in other cases.

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