Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in Massachusetts and all states. While you may have never planned for a police officer to pull you over and charge you for OUI, it could happen to anyone. In your situation, you may have genuinely believed that your prescription medication had worn off or that the alcoholic beverages you consumed had not impacted your abilities, and as a result, you chose to get behind the wheel.
Law enforcement can't shoot dogs during search
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled 2-1 that police officers searching a couple's house for marijuana could not shoot two of the occupants'dogs because they were unlicensed. This enables the occupants to proceed with a suit to protect their Fourth Amendment right by claiming that there was illegal seizure and they are entitled to due to process before the dogs are seized. A third dog shot by an officer is not before the courts.
SJC opts to dismiss all cases involving chemist Sonja Farak
The case of chemist Sonja Farak has caught the attention of many here in Massachusetts, particularly those convicted of a crime involving drugs. Now the Supreme Judicial Court has made the right decision by having all the cases that involved Farak’s work dismissed.
'Just a parking ticket' can become something worse
Getting a parking ticket is annoying. It can be embarrassing. Worse, it can wind up costing a great deal of money. If you think you didn't deserve the citation, you can appeal to the city. Regardless, the last thing a driver might expect is that a parking violation could result in serious criminal charges.
What are the statute of limitations here in Massachusetts?
Many movies and television shows refer to the statute of limitation. However, do people really know what it means and how it is applied? Legally speaking, the statute of limitation is a law that limits prosecutors to charging the defendant within a certain window of time. Not all crimes fall under statute of limitation and length of the period will vary based on the alleged crime.
Should crime deserve a punishment
The foundation of our criminal justice system is that punishment should be doled out to those who commit a crime. The assumption is that the defendant made a poor choice in committing that crime and therefore needs to be deprived of their freedom to choose.
