"Have you taken any drugs tonight?" Imagine a police officer pulls you over on the way home. As you hand him your license and registration, he shines his flashlight into the car and says you have red eyes. He then asks if you are under the influence of any drugs. You...
Is sharing prescription drugs illegal?
If you are like many Massachusetts residents, you may have some leftover prescription pain relievers in your medicine cabinet from a previous injury or illness. When a friend gets an injury, you may decide to share your leftover medication to help manage the pain....
The dangerous link between prescription and heroin addictions
Many people think of Massachusetts, and New England in general, as an oversized suburb. Because of this, residents are often surprised to find that the opioid crisis has reached into the Bay State. Many people assume that these drug addicts are criminals with long rap...
Challenging illegal vehicle search and seizure
Possession of illegal or controlled substances in Massachusetts can have severe repercussions. If law enforcement stopped you and a vehicle search resulted in drug charges, the impetus for the search could have significant ramifications for your defense. At [nap_names...
Worcester man faces cocaine trafficking charges and more
As so many legal problems do, a Worcester man’s recent arrest began with a traffic stop. He was driving his car east on the Massachusetts Turnpike when he was pulled over in Framingham. Law enforcement officials said the officer searched the man’s vehicle...
Roadside drug tests are often inaccurate
A Florida deputy sheriff recently made national news for 80 arrests. However, rather than being celebrated for good work, it was because it was determined that many of the roadside drug tests employed by the deputy were inaccurate, which led to false arrest. It is...
Vermont’s Supreme Court takes stand against biased stops
The Vermont Supreme Court recently ruled against police overreach. The case of Zullo v. Vermont revolved around a 2014 traffic stop where a state trooper pulled over a young black man driving to visit a friend after work. According to news reports, the officer claimed...
Police train to better recognize drivers intoxicated on marijuana
The legalization of marijuana use Massachusetts has prompted law enforcement to train to better recognize drivers under the influence. The two-day training is called Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and is the first step towards certification in...
Oversight and laws in place for marijuana businesses and usage
Just about everyone knows the impact that previous marijuana laws had upon Worcester. Now the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) is taking steps to rectify the fact that Worcester was one of 29 cities that were disproportionately affected by the enforcement of previous...
Opioid epidemic still rages in Worcester
The national opioid epidemic has not overlooked the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. However, there has been some good news for the state: according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the number of fatal overdoses has gone down an estimated 10 percent in...