In Commonwealth v. Akara, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court considered whether evidence of a defendant’s “gang affiliation” was properly admissible in his murder trial on a theory of joint venture. In that case, the defendant was charged as a joint venturer in the murder of Philip Gadsden at an MBTA…
In the recent decision in Florida v. Jardines, the United States Supreme Court considered whether police could lawfully use a drug sniffing dog to search a the curtilage of a person’s home. In a unanimous decision, the United States Supreme Court held that law enforcement must apply for and obtain…
The Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure establish time limitations as to when a criminal defendant is charged and to be brought to trial, and these protections are guaranteed in the United States Constitution and the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights. But in many criminal cases, there are a variety of delays…
A Northeastern student was recently charged with various Massachusetts Crimes of Violence against two women in Boston in separate incidents. The student, who is from Medford, was charged in Roxbury District Court last week with Assault with Intent to Rape, Armed Robbery, and Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon.…
A Boston man was charged this past week with various Massachusetts Sex Crimes Charges involving the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Provincetown on Cape Cod. The defendant was charged in Orleans District Court with Rape, Indecent Assault & Battery and Distribution of Drugs. Rape in Massachusetts is defined…
A Lowell father was arraigned in Lowell District Court last week on Massachusetts Violent Crimes Charges for allegedly assaulting his two month old infant. The defendant, Christopher Berry, was formally arraigned on Aggravated Assault & Battery charges, but that charge could be upgraded if the child succumbs to its injuries.…
A Lynn priest was arraigned in Lynn District Court on various Massachusetts Sexual Assault Charges for allegedly sexually molesting over several years. The defendant, Daniel Lopez, was a priest at the Vida Real Internacional Congregation in Lynn. The Essex County District Attorney’s Office alleges that between 2004 and 2008, he…
A second defendant was charged with Murder in connection to the October stabbing death of Cherby Lajoie in Dorchester, Massachusetts. The female defendant, Tarayiah Hunt, 21, of Dorchester, was formally arraigned in the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court recently and charged with murder. The victim in this case,…
A man who used to reside in Lowell was arrested on a fugitive warrant in New York and returned to Massachusetts to face Violent Crime Charges relative to a 2011 home invasion in Lowell. The defendant, Samuel Merced, 22, was arraigned in Lowell District Court and charged with Home Invasion,…
A 19 year old Framingham man was arrested on various Massachusetts Sex Crimes Charges for allegedly raping a 15 year old girl after she got off the school bus. The defendant was charged with Aggravated Rape of a Child, Indecent Assault & Battery and Kidnapping. According to the Middlesex County…