Defendants in a criminal case often have to make a decision about representation – whether to hire their own lawyer or just accept the public defender that will be appointed to them. Private attorneys can provide more proactive representation by working on your case before you have to go to court…
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Criminal Defense
Surprising Verdict in Murder of Kathryn Steinle Should be Respected
Based on what’s been reported, I’m surprised the jury didn’t find this Defendant (undocumented immigrant Jose Garcia Zarate) guilty of at least involuntary manslaughter in the death of Kathryn Steinke, which requires only a negligent act resulting in death. If you have a gun in your hand, and it accidentally fires, that’s arguably per se […]
SJC Narrows Admissibility of Field Sobriety Tests in OUI Marijuana Cases
At the end of September, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), the Commonwealth’s highest appellate court, released a new and impactful decision pertaining to the admissibility of Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs) at trial to prove whether an individual is deemed to have driven under the influence of marijuana. In Commonwealth v. Gerhardt, the SJC narrowed […]