"The Amherst drug lab crisis represents a complete collapse of the criminal justice system," reads a petition submitted to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Committee for Public Counsel Services' Public...
Mass. high court rules field sobriety tests inadmissible for pot
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has just ruled that some police testimony about field sobriety tests is inadmissible in cases involving suspected marijuana impairment. This is because there is no scientific certainty that the field sobriety tests used on...
Police commandeer kayaks for aquatic pursuit of alleged boat thief
Leicester police were ready when a concerned citizen called about a man apparently breaking into a Green Street home. They had checked on the house earlier that day after a Worcester police request, so they sent multiple units around. That doesn't mean they were...
Breathalyzer tests: Are they optional?
You are driving down the road minding your own business, and then it happens -- you see the lights flashing in your rearview mirror and a police officer asks you to pull over to the side of the street. Of course, you comply. After talking to you, the officer pulls out...
‘Fare is Fair’: MBTA begins random commuter rail ticket checks
Riders on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail lines may be in for some hassles in the days ahead as random daily ticket checks continue. The random checks, which began yesterday, are meant to cut back on the millions of dollars the MBTA loses each...
Gov. Baker wants higher penalties for drug deals ending in death
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has proposed a new penalty for drug dealers when the substances they sell end in the user's death. Currently, there is no state statute specifically touching on the issue. The proposed new law would require a mandatory-minimum...